War for Ruby
by JustAnotherGuy04
Summary: The three older girls of team RWBY have one thing in common. They're all in love with their young team leader, Ruby. However, they're not willing to share and will do anything to claim victory over the heart of the unsuspecting team leader. The war for Ruby has begun.
1. Declaration of War

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 1: Declaration of War**

The WBY of team RWBY was in their dorm. Weiss was studying, Blake was reading and Yang was polishing her gauntlets. However, none of the three girls could concentrate on what they were doing. Their thoughts were occupied by their team's leader, Ruby.

* * *

 **(Weiss)**

Weiss had always been a person who reached for the best. She wanted the best clothes, the best food etc. This was also shown in her actions. She aimed only to be the best there is. Her grades were always the best, her skill with her sword was almost unmatched and she aimed to act and look her best all the time. Nothing less would do.

That was until she got to Beacon.

Suddenly she met this girl, who was everything she wasn't. Loud, obnoxious, way too energetic and not all that bright even. To make matters worse, this same girl was made her team's leader. A position that Weiss was certain belonged only to her. Not only that, but this girl was one of the best students around as well, even better than Weiss. All of this enraged Weiss to no end and she hated this girl, who had taken what was rightfully hers.

However, that soon changed.

Weiss soon discovered that her new leader was not just some immature girl, but a true prodigy with limitless potential. Not only that, her cheery personality managed to warm even Weiss' heart and she soon found herself drawn towards this girl. Soon her thoughts and dreams were filled with this girl.

Weiss could only come to one conclusion. She was in love with her leader, Ruby Rose.

* * *

 **(Blake)**

Blake had never been one to trust people. Her unhappy life as a faunus had caused that. However, she was also a person who wanted to fight for what was right. That's why she went to Beacon, even though she didn't like the idea of being part of a team.

Her team was not what she had hoped for. Her partner, Yang, was a rowdy idiot, who didn't think before acting. One of her teammates was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, her former enemy. Not to mention, her leader was a young child, who was way too innocent and naive to fit the position of a leader. Blake was certain that she would never learn to fully trust these people.

That, however, changed quickly. Her identity as a faunus was revealed, along with her past as a member of the White Fang. Blake did the only thing she could and ran away. She was certain that her team would never accept her as one of them.

In the end, her teammates found her and accepted her, even Weiss. For the first time in her life, Blake felt truly hopeful for her future.

Blake eventually learned that all of this was thanks to her leader, who had been searching for her since she left. While Blake's partner was willing to give up on the search and Weiss wanted nothing to do with Blake, their leader insisted on finding her and bringing her back. That she was a part of them. That she was needed. That she was their friend. This warmed Blake's heart. Finally she had found a person, who accepted her unconditionally and actually wanted her around. Someone who gave her full trust to Blake, along with her friendship.

In return, Blake would give her all to this person. Her trust. Her friendship. Her love. For Ruby Rose.

* * *

 **(Yang)**

Even though she has been in many relationships, Yang has always only loved one person. All the other people she has gotten together with have only been there for fun or to forget about that one person she loved. But in the end, she could not get that one person out of her heart. Her stepsister, Ruby.

Yes, stepsister. Unknown to Ruby, she was not related to Yang at all. Yang's father, Taiyang, and Ruby's mother, Summer, got together soon after Yang's mother disappeared. At first, Summer was simply trying to comfort an old friend, since she had been in that same situation with Ruby's father. That changed overtime and became something more.

A similar change happened with Yang. After she had found out that she was not related to Ruby, the blonde decided to keep treating the younger girl as a sister at first. Over time, these feelings changed. Yang found herself wanting to spend her every moment with Ruby and to be something more with her. Sometimes Yang tried to stop those feelings and put distance between herself and Ruby, only to regret that decision later.

Yang was not going to do that ever again. She had enough regrets already. She would not make the biggest mistake that she could ever make and get the one thing that she had always dreamed of. A life together with her one true love, Ruby Rose.

* * *

The three older girls of team RWBY had all come to the same conclusion. They were in love with their leader, Ruby. They also decided to that today they would get Ruby for themselves.

Unfortunately for the three, they didn't know of each other's feelings for Ruby yet.

All three girls perked up at once, when their leader walked into the room. ''Hey guys! How are you doing?''

At once, Weiss, Blake and Yang ran to the younger girl with a gleam in their eyes. They stopped right in front of Ruby and said simultaneously,''Ruby! Would you like to-''

All three girls stopped at the same time and looked at each other. They had just realized that they were about to say the same thing at the same time. Their looks soon turned into glares and they were looking at each other with anger and hate.

Ruby, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to what was going on exactly. ''Ummm... Guys? Is everything okay?''

''Hold on a second, Ruby. We three need to have a talk with each other,'' the three older girls replied at the same time and left the room, leaving behind a confused Ruby.

''...I hope everything's okay,'' Ruby whispered to herself.

* * *

The three older girls of team RWBY were walking away from their dorm. They were heading to the roof, so they could have a private conversation. Their faces were ones of anger and they looked like they were ready kill each other.

They reached the roof and immediately turned to glare at each other. ''What the hell do you two think you're doing, clinging to MY Ruby!?'' Blake yelled.

''YOUR RUBY!?'' Weiss screamed. ''She. Is. MINE!''

''Oh, no she is NOT!'' Yang yelled. ''Rubes is MINE! So you two just back off!''

The three girls were glaring at each other. They finally calmed down and Blake managed to speak up, ''How do you two think that you'd be good enough for Ruby? I'm obviously the BEST candidate to be her mate!''

Weiss and Yang laughed at Blake's statement. ''YOU!? Don't make me laugh! How could you be the best for Ruby?! You're an ex-terrorist, for the love of God!'' Weiss said.

''Not to mention that Rubes is a fun-loving girl, while you're as lively as a statue! You just read books all day and have the most lifeless personality I've ever seen! How could Rubes share her life with you of all people!?'' Yang added.

Blake smirked at her teammates. ''You forget that Ruby already knows about my past and she doesn't mind it. Not to mention that she shares MY love of books with me! While you, Yang, didn't care about what I was reading when we first met, Ruby actually was interested! The two of us share something that neither of you do! Besides, I'm not as lifeless as you guys think. I can be a fun person too.''

Weiss and Yang frowned. The faunus had a couple of good points. Blake and Ruby did share a similar interest, one that they didn't. Also, Ruby was not the type of person to judge a person based on their past. In fact, she was the one who wanted to find Blake the most, when the faunus ran away.

While the two girls were contemplating their teammate's words, Blake glared at Weiss. ''And what about you!? You're just a stuck-up princess, who thinks that the world revolves around you! How could a selfless and sweet person like Ruby ever fall for someone like you!?''

Weiss crossed her arms and huffed. ''I know that I wasn't the nicest person when I first met Ruby, but I've changed! Ruby brought out the better side of me and you know it!'' Weiss smirked. ''Not to mention that as her partner I get to spend the most time with her, so I can show just how good my better side is. Besides, opposites attract.''

The heiress turned her gaze on Yang and frowned. ''And how are YOU supposed to be the one for Ruby!? You're her sister!''

''Stepsister actually,'' Yang corrected, causing the other girls to look at her with shocked expressions. ''Ruby isn't actually my dad's daughter, so there's no relation between us. She doesn't know about it yet, though.''

''So how is she supposed to fall for you!? She still thinks that you're her sister!'' Blake insisted.

It was Yang's turn to smirk. ''Ruby's way too innocent for her own good. Do you really think that she's going to think about that, when she finally starts to have romantic feelings? No. She will fall in love with any person, no matter who that person is and I'm the best candidate for that. You two may have grown close to her, but I have known her through all of her life! We know more about each other than you two will ever know! We are tied together by a bond stronger than anything you two could ever have and you know it!''

All three girls stood there glaring at each other. None of them were willing to back down an inch. They all wanted Ruby and they were willing to fight for her, if need be.

Blake sighed and shook her head a bit. ''Look, we all want Ruby. However, just standing here, glaring at each other isn't going to solve anything. Let's go back to the dorm and ask her straight, which one of us she likes. Okay?''

The other two girls nodded. The trio started to walk back to the direction of their dorm, while having thoughts about their certain victory.

 _'Ruby will choose me! I am her partner after all!'_

 _'Our mutual love for books will be the deciding factor! I know it!'_

 _'Rubes will choose me! We have been there for each other our entire lives!'_

However, as they got closer to their destination, doubt started to fill their heads.

 _'On second thought, I have been pretty horrible to her. Maybe she won't choose me?'_

 _'I haven't been that close to her. We might both like books, but I haven't really hung out with her that much.'_

 _'Ruby doesn't know about her true relation towards me yet. What if she can't ever see me as nothing but a sister?'_

Their doubts grew more as they got closer to their dorm. By the time they were standing outside the door, they had all lost hope completely and they were ready to cry.

 _'I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!'_ all three girls screamed in their heads.

However, when they entered their dorm, their fear was soon replaced with relief. Ruby was asleep on her bed and snoring lightly. The three older girls let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that none of them would have to face the possibility of rejection from the young leader.

''So... Should we confess our feelings to her after she wakes up?'' Weiss asked.

Yang shook her head. ''No. It's too early. Ruby hasn't probably even thought about any kind of romantic life yet. We should try to show our feelings for her through our actions and possibly even win her, for now.''

Blake nodded and smirked. ''And that's going to be me!''

Yang glared at her partner. ''Hell no, kitty cat! She's going to be mine!''

Weiss glared at both girls. ''Grrr! No you dolts! She will be mine!''

The three girls were once again glaring at each other. In the end, they decided to simply go to bed and not fight anymore. They were all getting tired and none of them wanted to wake up Ruby.

Weiss was about to get into her bed, when an idea came to her. With an evil smirk on her face, she started to climb up to Ruby's bunk.

''Weiss, what the hell do you think you're doing?'' Yang asked, causing Blake to look at the heiress as well.

''I just thought that Ruby seemed lonely and decided to give her some company,'' Weiss replied smugly.

Before she could get into Ruby's bunk, Blake yanked Weiss away and threw her to the floor. ''Oh, no you won't! I'll do it!''

Before the faunus could get into her leader's bunk, Yang grabbed a hold of her and threw her away. ''The hell you will! I'm doing it!''

Yang was grabbed from behind by both Weiss and Blake. ''No, ME!''

The three girls ended up fighting for the right to sleep with their youngest teammate in the same bed. They punched, kicked and screamed at each other and were doing anything they could to claim victory.

All this noise eventually woke up Ruby, who sat up and looked at the fight with sleepy eyes. She saw how currently Blake was biting Weiss' right arm, who was using her left arm to punch Yang in the head, who was roughly pulling Blake's ears.

Ruby laid back down on her bed and decided to simply get back to sleep. _'I'm not going to get mixed up in that.'_

* * *

 **Author's notes: Here's something I wrote some time ago. It's essentially a comedic romance story, where the three older girls of team RWBY compete with each other to see who gets their lovely leader for themselves. The thing about this story that I don't have an ending for it. It will essentially be a collection of short stories that are tied together. Also, I feel like it would be best to have an ending where it doesn't end with a certain person winning. That way more people should be satisfied.  
**

 **The length of the chapters will vary depending on the ideas I have. Some will be shorter, others longer. One thing I can say is that I'm planning them to be comedic in nature. There also won't be a real updating schedule for this, I'm afraid. Since this is a story with no real ending, I'll probably update it whenever I get a good idea for it. I'll try to put my focus on stories with an actual end goal, so the people reading those get to see the end.**

 **But enough about that crap. Please tell me how you feel about this story with either a review or a PM. I really want to see how you guys feel about it.**

 **Until next time!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	2. Nightmare Scenarios

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 2: Nightmare Scenarios**

It had been a day since the three older girls of team RWBY had found out about their mutual feelings towards Ruby and the 'War for Ruby' had begun. Yang had a talk with Ruby, regarding the fact that the younger girl was adopted. As expected, there had been a lot of crying on Ruby's part, but thanks to the comforting words and a promise of never leaving from Yang, the younger girl calmed down and was able to get over the shocking news.

The WBY of team RWBY was currently in their dorm. The three girls were making plans on how to woo Ruby and then confess their feelings for her. Weiss was sitting behind her desk, writing down a plan for a date that would involve entertainment of the highest class, such as a dinner in a fancy restaurant and a play. Blake was sitting on her bed, taking down notes from her various romance novels, trying to plan for a date based on the scenes from her books.

Yang, however, was much more relaxed. She was simply laying on her bed and practically just daydreaming about her 'planned' date with Ruby. The blonde was certain that victory would be hers, due to the fact that she has known Ruby the longest of them all.

Yang gave a quick glance to her two teammates, before chuckling and laying down on her bed again. _'Heh. Losers. They have no chance against me. I just need to woo my Ruby with a perfect date and she's all mine. I can just imagine it. First a movie. Then we'll go to the arcade. Then some pizza...'_ the blonde thought as she slowly fell asleep, dreaming about her future date with Ruby.

* * *

 _Everything was perfect. The two girls saw a great movie, had fun in the arcade and, to top it all of, had some great pizza. There were no problems, no awkward moments, no stupid mistakes, no inappropriate comments from anyone they passed by and best of all, no Weiss or Blake to ruin everything for Yang._

 _They were currently walking down the beach, holding hands. The sun was setting and the view was just perfect. Yang knew that this was just the right time and place to confess her feelings to Ruby._

 _She took hold of Ruby's hands and stared her right in the eyes. ''Ruby, there's something I need to tell you,'' she whispered._

 _''Oh, Yang. I also something wonderful to tell you,'' Ruby replied._

 _Yang's interest was caught now. What could Ruby possibly want to tell her? Maybe she was in fact in love with the blonde. Whatever it was, Yang wanted to find out. ''Really? Do go on. I'm all ears.''_

 _Ruby grinned widely and exclaimed, ''I'm pregnant and I'm going to marry my boyfriend soon!''_

 _All color drained from Yang's face as she stared at the younger girl with wide eyes. ''What..? How? When!?''_

 _''Oh, we've been dating for a while now. I just haven't told you yet,'' Ruby replied innocently._

 _''WHO!? WHO IS THE GUY THAT-''_

 _Yang was interrupted, when a handsome young man rode in on a white horse. Ruby stared at him with gleaming eyes and a big smile. ''There he is! Honey!''_

 _The man stopped next to Ruby and offered a hand to her. ''I am here, my beloved. Shall we go?''_

 _Ruby nodded and took his hand. He pulled the young girl up on the horse, while Yang was staring at the whole thing with a horrified expression. The blonde could only cry and watch as her one true love was taken away from her._

* * *

''OH DEAR GOD, NOOOOOO!'' Yang screamed as she woke up from her nightmare. She sat up on her bed, sweating and panting. Her sudden screaming had caught the attention of her two teammates, who were staring at her with shocked expressions.

''You dolt, what is the matter with you!?'' Weiss exclaimed angrily, having finally broken out of her shock.

Yang jumped off her bed, ran up to Weiss, grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her violently. ''Where's Ruby!? Where is she!? TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!''

The blonde's frantic shaking was stopped by Blake, who grabbed Yang's shoulder. ''Yang, Ruby is still in the library! Now calm down and tell us what's wrong!'' she said while still holding one of her books in her other hand.

Yang finally calmed down and explained to her teammates, what got her so scared. She told all about her dream, how she went on a perfect date with Ruby and how it ended in the worst possible way.

''Wow... That is pretty horrifying,'' Weiss said quietly. The thought of someone just suddenly coming and taking away Ruby was something that the heiress couldn't stand.

Yang nodded sadly. ''Guess how fun it was to go through it, even if it was a dream.'' Memories of her dream nearly brought the blonde into tears. She was just glad that it had not been real.

The sudden sound of Blake dropping her book to the floor caused the two girls to break out of their musings and turn to look at the faunus. Said girl had a horrified expression on her face as she stared at her two teammates.

''Blake? Is something wrong?'' Yang asked her partner cautiously.

''I just realized something terrible from that dream of yours...'' Blake said in a haunted tone.

''What? The fact that Ruby getting taken away by somebody would be terrible? I think we all realized that,'' Weiss said with a raised eyebrow.

''No. Something more terrible! In your dream, Ruby was taken away by a man, right!?'' Blake asked Yang with panic in her voice.

''Yes, and I'd prefer not to think about it,'' Yang replied with some anger in her voice.

''Don't you guys see!? Although it was a dream, it showed a realistic problem we might face with trying to win Ruby's affection!'' Blake insisted.

The other two girls looked at each other, before looking at Blake again with confusion written all over their faces. ''What are you talking about?'' Weiss asked.

''What if Ruby's straight!?'' Blake yelled at her teammates.

Weiss' and Yang's faces changed into horrified ones immediately. How could they have not seen this problem? If Ruby was straight, then she wouldn't be interested in girls. If she wasn't interested in girls, then she would never fall in love with one of them. If she didn't fall in love with one of them, then they could all kiss their happy endings goodbye.

''NO! I refuse to accept that! I refuse to accept that Ruby would never possibly fall in love with me!'' Yang cried out.

''Yang, calm down! We don't know if that's the case yet, and even if Ruby's straight, there's nothing we can do,'' Weiss said sadly.

Yang's eyes turned red as she glared at Weiss. ''Like hell there's nothing I can do! I'll change her sexuality by force, if I have to!''

Blake was about to reprimand her partner, but the sound of talking outside their room caught her attention. She told her teammates to be quiet and listen. They soon recognized the voices. One of them belonged to their beloved leader, Ruby. The other one was Jaune. They moved close to the door in order to listen to the conversation the two of them were having.

''Thanks again, Jaune! I had a really good time!'' Ruby said.

 _' 'A really good time'? What were they doing?'_ the three older girls thought to themselves.

''Hey, no problem! I had fun too!'' Jaune replied.

The three eavesdropping girls were panicking now. What were Ruby and Jaune talking about? Ruby was supposed to have been in the library, so what had she and Jaune been doing then?

''Ruby, I was wondering something,'' Jaune said nervously.

''Yes?'' Ruby asked.

''Could we... ummm... you know...'' Jaune started mumbling, trying hard to speak up.

The boy didn't get a chance to ask his question, because Weiss, Blake and Yang suddenly stepped out of their dorm.

''Jaune, we need to have a talk with you. Now,'' Yang said as she and Blake grabbed him and started dragging him away.

''Ruby, you wait for us in our room, okay?'' Weiss said as she gently pushed the younger girl into their room and then proceeded to follow her two teammates.

Ruby stood in the middle of her team's dorm, staring at the door. ''What was that about?'' she asked herself.

* * *

Jaune had never been the bravest person in the world, but his time in Beacon had helped him with that. While he used to be scared of grimm and Cardin, now he was willing to stand up to them and more.

Now, however, he was not facing a bully or a grimm. He was facing something far more terrifying.

Three REALLY angry girls.

As soon as Jaune had been dragged away from team RWBY's dorm, Yang had picked him up from the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall and readied her other arm to punch him. Blake drew out her sword and had placed the blade right to his neck and Weiss had pointed her rapier over his family jewels.

All three girls were glaring at him with as much hate as they could muster, and Jaune could almost see the Grimm Reaper himself standing behind the girls, waiting to claim his soul.

Before Jaune could say anything, Yang spoke with her voice laced with venom, ''Stay away from Ruby.''

''W-What?'' Jaune asked, clearly confused.

''You heard her,'' Blake spoke up. ''Stay away from Ruby. She belongs to _us_. Understood?''

''What are you talking about!? I have no idea-!''

''Don't even try!'' Weiss said, cutting off Jaune. ''We heard your conversation from earlier and also your attempt at asking her out. We will not let you take her, so stay away from her, if you know what's good for you,'' the heiress said while bringing her sword closer to Jaune's crotch, causing the boy to start sweating.

''But I'm not interested in Ruby like that at all!'' Jaune nearly screamed. ''I wasn't even going to ask her out or anything! Honest!''

''Don't lie to me!'' Yang screamed with her eyes turning red. ''We heard how you had been 'having fun' with Ruby! What kind of disgusting and perverted things did you do to our innocent and sweet rose!?''

''Wait a moment. When you guys talk about having fun, are you talking about the game we made to make studying fun?'' Jaune asked.

''...What?'' all three girls asked at the same time.

''We created a game to help us in our studies and make it more fun,'' the boy explained. ''We would ask each other questions based on the subject and then get or lose points based on our answers. First one to get 30 points wins.''

''Then... what were you going to ask her?'' Blake asked still unsure that she could trust Jaune.

Jaune sighed. ''It's about Pyrrha. I've been having some... feelings towards her lately. I've already talked about it with Ruby before, but I wanted to ask for her advice more and maybe plan something. She's the only person I fully trust, besides Pyrrha.''

The three girls were silently processing the things Jaune just told them. Truth be told, it all made sense. Jaune had been giving Pyrrha the same kind of looks the amazon gave to the boy, and the thought of Ruby making a game to make studying fun seemed like something she would do.

The silence was broken up by Jaune, ''So... You guys are all in love with Ruby?''

The blonde knight soon regretted opening his mouth, as the three girls turned to glare at him again and readied their weapons.

* * *

 **Author's notes: I know that I really skipped on the shocking news department, when it came to Yang revealing Ruby's adoption. However, I just felt like this story needed to move forward to get to the actual meat of the story, which is the comedy. I felt that dragging through a part that we can easily imagine in our heads and have seen done already a few times was practically a waste of time.**

 **Been there, done that, we have all been here before.**

 **However, I do understand if you're disappointed with the way I handled it, but I hope you can see my points as well. I'm certainly not going to do the same thing on stories that are more serious in nature. This just is a lighthearted comedy series and I felt that there was no real need for drama like that.**

 **Please tell me how you felt about it and I'll try my best to better myself.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	3. Revealing the Truth

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 3: Revealing the Truth**

The three older girls of team RWBY were returning back to their dorm to the still waiting Ruby. After explaining their situation to Jaune, they threathened him to never reveal their secret feelings to Ruby or ever trying to win the young team leader's affections. They were satisfied to see that he promised immediately to do as they told him.

''Well that takes care of that,'' Yang said happily.

Blake nodded. ''Indeed. But it still leaves us with our original problem. We still don't know if Ruby's straight or not.''

''I guess we'll just have to ask her directly,'' Weiss stated to which the other two girls nodded in agreement.

The three girls entered their dorm to find Ruby sitting on her bed, reading. The younger girl looked up at her teammates when they entered. ''Hey guys! Did something happen with Jaune?''

''Oh, nothing,'' Weiss lied. Her face turned serious as she spoke up, ''Ruby, we need to talk with you.''

Ruby grew concerned. ''About what? Is something wrong?''

''Come down here, Rubes,'' Yang instructed and the younger girl did so. The blonde pulled a chair to the middle of the room and motioned for Ruby to sit on it.

After Ruby was seated, the three girls stood in front of her and looked at her with serious looks on their faces. The redhead was starting to get nervous. She felt like she was in an interrogation for a crime or something.

''Ruby, we need to know something very important,'' Blake said.

''Y-Y-Yes? What i-i-is it?'' Ruby asked with fear in her voice. All sorts of scenarios were playing in her mind and they were not nice. Such as being told to step down as leader or getting kicked out of Beacon.

''Which way do you swing?'' Yang asked.

''...Huh?'' Ruby said in complete confusion.

''Which way do you swing?'' Yang repeated.

Ruby didn't understand the question correctly. ''Do you mean Crescent Rose? Because I swing her-''

''No Ruby,'' Weiss interrupted. ''What we mean is, what kind of company do you prefer?''

''Can you be a bit more specific?'' Ruby asked.

''Do you prefer the company of guys or girls?''

''Ummm... I think I like both...'' Ruby replied causing the three older girls to look at her in surprise and a little joy. While Ruby being bisexual was not exactly what they wanted, it was still better than her being straight. At least this way they had a chance.

''Although I think I like the company of girls a bit better than guys, because I like your company the most!'' Ruby said with a smile. The three older girls were overjoyed now. Their leader had just admitted that not only did she prefer girls, but she enjoyed their company the most!

However, Ruby's next words ended their little moment of happiness, ''But I only really hang out with Jaune and Ren occasionally, so I guess I don't have much experience with the company of boys...''

The three older girls looked at each other a bit, confused by their leader's words. Weiss turned back to Ruby. ''Ruby, what exactly did you mean, when you talked about preferring our company?''

Ruby gave Weiss a cnfused look. ''Well, you asked if I preferred the company of boys or girls, right? The thing is that while I like to hang out with you guys the most, I haven't really hung out with any boys that much, so I can't really give a definitive answer.''

The three older girls groaned. Ruby had misunderstood their question again.

''That's not what we meant, Ruby. Hang on a second,'' Blake said and walked to the bookshelf. She grabbed two books and took them with her back to Ruby. ''Here's the thing, Ruby. Which one do you prefer?'' Blake asked as she opened up the books and showed a picture from both of them to Ruby, one on each hand. One of the books had a picture of a man and a woman being rather 'intimate' with each other, while the other one had a similar picture between two women.

Ruby immediately turned as red as her cloak and buried her face in her hands. ''B-B-Blake! Why are you showing something like THAT to me!?''

Yang turned to look at the faunus and grabbed the books from her hands. Her eyes immediately turned red from anger as she saw the pictures that Blake had been showing to Ruby. ''BLAKE BELLADONNA! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SHOWING TO INNOCENT, SWEET LITTLE RUBY!?''

Blake shrugged. ''I thought it would help Ruby understand our question.''

''You little... I should just skin you alive for this!'' Yang growled at Blake before taking another look at the book with the two women. ''Although, that is pretty hot. Can I borrow this sometime?''

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. ''Idiots...''

Ruby finally had enough. ''What is wrong with you guys!? I don't understand what you want from me! Just what are you guys trying to accomplish!?''

Before either Weiss or Blake could speak up, Yang had walked up to Ruby and grasped the younger girls shoulders in her hands and looked her straight in the eyes. ''Ruby, we want to know, if you're into boys or girls. In other words, are you straight or gay?''

Ruby froze, the question leaving her in a shocked state. Weiss and Blake were about to berate Yang for her bluntness, when Ruby started speaking, ''I-I haven't really t-thought about such things, Yang.'' Ruby was facing away from Yang, who noticed that the younger girl was sweating and trembling a bit.

''Ruby,'' Yang said softly and grabbed Ruby's chin, making the younger girl face her again. ''I've known you practically all my life. I know when you're lying. So please, answer the question honestly.''

Ruby stared at Yang with fearful eyes before looking down, hiding her face from the other girls. She mumbled something very quietly and only Blake was able to hear it, thanks to her faunus hearing, but she still couldn't make out the words.

''I'm sorry, Ruby. Could you repeat that?'' Blake asked the younger girl.

''I like girls...''

To say that Weiss, Blake and Yang were happy was an understatement. They could have combined every birthday and holiday that they had celebrated in their lives and it wouldn't even come near the joy they felt now. The happiness they felt was so massive that their bodies froze completely as their minds tried to process what they just learned. That's how great it was for them to hear about Ruby's sexuality.

They were brought out of their thoughts by the sound of something wet dripping down on Ruby's lap. It didn't take long for them to figure out that the younger girl was crying.

Ruby looked up just enough that the three older girls could see her eyes. ''Please don't hate me...'' Ruby pleaded quietly.

Yang wrapped Ruby up in her arms and started stroking her head to comfort the younger girl. ''Oh, Ruby! Shhh, shhh! It's okay! It's okay! We don't hate you! We could never hate you! We're actually quite happy!''

Ruby looked up at the blonde with tears in her eyes. ''Y-You don't?''

''Of course we don't, Ruby!'' Weiss exclaimed happily. ''Studies have actually shown that gay couples are more likely to live happier lives and are less likely to end up in break-ups.''

''Besides, men can be vile and horrible to women. A lot of so called 'gentlemen' are often abusive towards women and use them for their own good,'' Blake said trying to encourage Ruby.

''Not to mention, there are a lot of great gals here in Beacon!'' Yang said with a grin. ''We know that you'll find someone here!'' The blonde's arms tightened around Ruby a bit. ''And that someone might be closer than you know.''

Ruby looked at her teammates and saw them smiling at her, showing nothing but acceptance to her. This caused the redhead to bury her face in Yang's chest and start sobbing loudly. ''Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!''

Weiss and Blake joined Yang in hugging their crying team leader, to show her that she was not alone and that they would support her. After crying for a while, Ruby fell asleep in the arms of her teammates.

''Guess that took out all of her energy,'' Yang said.

Blake nodded. ''Yes. She must have been keeping her sexuality in secret for quite some time now. Revealing it to us and feeling happy from being accepted must have taken quite a lot out of her.''

''She should get taken to a bed, so she can rest properly,'' Weiss said and the other two girls nodded.

All of the three older girls tried to take the sleeping Ruby with them. When they noticed this, they glared at each other and were ready to throw down and fight.

''Just where do you think you're taking her, Blake?'' Weiss questioned the faunus. ''Ruby's bed is not in the direction you're pulling her.''

''I thought it would be best for her not to sleep alone. So I thought I'd take her to my bed,'' Blake answered and narrowed her eyes at Weiss. ''Besides, aren't you trying to do the same?''

Weiss blushed at the accusation. ''W-Well, I can't lift her up to her bed, can I?''

Yang grinned. ''But I can! So, if you guys would just let me-''

''No!'' Blake and Weiss hissed at the blonde. ''You're just going to take her to your bed, aren't you!?''

''I wasn't going to do that. Honest!'' she said with a frown and then her face broke into a mischievous smirk. ''But I am going to join her in her bed.''

''Oh, no you won't!'' Blake hissed.

''Like we would let you!'' Weiss said.

Their argument ended when they heard a soft groan from Ruby. They looked at her, afraid that they might have woken up the younger girl, but were relieved to see her still asleep. The three older girls sighed in relief.

''Look, I'm the strongest in the team. I'll put her in her bed and that's that. Okay?'' Yang asked. Weiss and Blake nodded in approval and let go of Ruby, allowing Yang to lift the younger girl up and put her in her bed. After covering Ruby up in her blanket, Yang stood back to look admire Ruby's sleeping face along with the other two girls.

''You know, I could stand here and simply stare at her sleeping face for hours,'' Blake said with a smile. Weiss and Yang nodded at her statement.

Suddenly, a devilish smile spread across Yang's face. ''Hey guys. I have an idea.''

* * *

Ruby woke up to find herself alone in the dorm. She felt hungry and decided to go to the cafeteria to see if she could get something to eat. As she walked towards the cafeteria, she came upon team JNPR. The four members of the team noticed Ruby and started smiling widely at her, causing the younger girl to feel uneasy.

''Ummm... Guys? Why are you looking at me like that?'' Ruby asked her friends.

''Well, how could we not look at you like this, when we've heard about your little reveal?'' Pyrrha said with a smile.

''What are you guys talk- GAH!'' Ruby was cut off by Nora, who hugged the younger girl with all of her strength.

''Oh Ruby! We're so proud of you! Letting out something like that must take so much courage!'' Nora said.

Ruby was completely confused. ''Letting out what!? What are you talking about!?''

''Hey Ruby!'' a familiar male voice shouted behind Ruby. She turned her head to see Sun and Neptune walking towards them. ''I heard the news about you. Kind of a shame. Any guy would have been lucky to get you.''

Ruby started to slowly realize what her friends were talking about. ''W-What are you-?''

''Hey Red!'' This time it was Coco, who was walking towards them with her team. ''Heard you came out of the closet. Good for you!''

That finally confirmed Ruby's fears. ''How did you-!?''

''Did you hear Cardin? Apparently, Ruby's gay.''

Ruby paled and slowly turned to look towards the source of the new voice. Sure enough, there was Cardin with his team, staring at her. _'Oh, great. The absolute worst people have found out my secret. They're going to make my life hell.'_

''Oh really?'' Cardin replied and Ruby readied herself for the insults she was sure to receive. ''That's cool. Let's go.''

Ruby stared after the leaving team CRDL in absolute disbelief. ''H-Hey wait a minute!'' she yelled after them, causing them to stop and turn to look at her. ''Aren't you guys going to throw insults at me!? Make inappropriate jokes about my sexuality!? Anything!?''

Cardin raised an eyebrow at Ruby. ''Why would we do that?''

Ruby almost started to pull her hair out of frustration. ''Because that's the kind of thing you guys do! Bully people that are different from you!''

Cardin frowned. ''There's nothing wrong with liking a person of the same gender, so why would we bully you because of it?''

''Besides, we wouldn't be in a position to judge people by their sexuality, since Dove's gay,'' Russel added while pointing at said teammate.

''That I am!'' Dove announced happily.

Ruby couldn't believe her ears. Team CRDL, the biggest bullies in all of Beacon, had just stated that they were okay with her being gay. Ruby didn't know if she was dreaming, in a different dimension or just hallucinating.

A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder. It belonged to none other than Coco. ''Hey, there's nothing wrong with letting people know,'' she said with a smile.

''That's the problem! You guys aren't supposed to know!'' Ruby yelled back.

''Why? Don't tell me you're one of those people that hate themselves for being gay. That's really bad, you know,'' Cardin said. ''See, my cousin was like that too and it got to the point he started to get suicidal. But after he revealed his sexuality, he-''

''You have absolutely NO idea, how wrong that sounds coming from you,'' Ruby said flatly. ''Anyways, back to the main issue here. HOW. DO. YOU. KNOW ABOUT IT!?''

Everybody was silent for a moment, until Russel spoke up, ''I heard a group of girls talking about it.''

 _'Oh, great! Just how many people know about it!?'_ Ruby thought bitterly.

''We heard about it from Sun and his team,'' Coco answered.

''We heard about it from Jaune's team,'' Sun said.

''Nora told about it to us,'' Jaune said.

Ruby turned to look at said girl. ''How did you find out about it?'' she asked while somewhat dreading the answer.

''I heard about it from your teammates,'' Nora replied.

 _'THOSE DAMN TRAITORS!'_ Ruby screamed inside her head. She felt betrayed by her teammates. She didn't think that they would reveal her little secret like that.

As if on cue, the three remaining members of team RWBY walked up to the scene. Not noticing how their team leader was shaking with rage, they carelessly walked up to her.

''Hi Rubes!'' Yang called out to the younger girl. ''You on your way to get some lunch as well?''

Ruby slowly turned to look at her teammates with the scariest glare any of the three older girls had ever seen. No grimm had terrified any of them as much as Ruby did at the moment, and if they hadn't frozen in place, they would have run for their lives.

''Something wrong, Ruby?'' Blake asked in a meek voice.

''Oh, you bet something's wrong!'' Ruby yelled causing her teammates to flinch. ''You guys just betrayed me, that's what!''

''Betrayed you? Ruby, we would never-'' Weiss began.

''SHUT UP, WEISS!'' Ruby yelled at the heiress. ''How could you guys do that!? Letting out the fact that I'm gay! Don't you guys know how to keep a secret!?''

The three older girls stared at their young leader as she glared at them with tears in her eyes. Ruby hung her head low and let her tears fall to the floor.

The three older girls were about to go comfort the crying girl, but the sound of her broken voice stopped them, ''I trusted you guys. I thought that you would understand that I wouldn't want my secret to be revealed like this. Even if I'm not directly related to any of you, I felt that you guys were like family to me. Why? Why would you betray me like this?''

The three older girls watched as Ruby wept silently, unsure of what to do. Luckily, Nora spoke up, ''Ummm... Ruby? They didn't tell me anything.''

''Huh?''

''They didn't tell me about your sexuality. I happened to overhear them talking about it. I thought that you had told them about it, so it didn't matter if I told other people.''

Ruby gave a quick glance to Nora, before looking at her teammates. ''Is that true?''

The three older girls nodded and smiled sadly. ''Of course Ruby. We would never betray you like that,'' Yang said.

Ruby ran up to Yang and hugged her tightly, burying her face into the older girl's chest and crying. She giving out muffled apologies even though her teammates hugged her back and kept telling her that it was okay.

''Hey Ruby,'' Jaune spoke up. ''I know it might not mean a lot coming from me, but don't worry about this. No matter your preference, you're still the same Ruby we know, right? So you can count on us to support you.'' Jaune's team nodded in agreement.

''Same here,'' Coco said and her teammates agreed with her.

''You can also count on me and my team! Right Nep?'' Sun said and Neptune nodded.

Cardin decided to speak up, ''You guys could make some sort of a PSA about homosexuality. That could help clear out some of the homophobia around here and-''

''Okay, are you serious or are you just trolling me!?'' Ruby yelled.

* * *

 **Author's notes: My favorite part in this? It's Cardin. The idea that the biggest racist douchebag in the series would actually be okay with gay relationships makes me chuckle.**

 **Anyways, this is the last chapter that I have already written. From here on out, it's going to be taking some time until next update, as I have to write down the following chapters. Hope you guys will stick for the ride!**

 **Please tell me how you feel about this story with your reviews and I'll possibly make more.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	4. Setting the Territory

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 4: Setting the Territory**

In truth, the WBY of team RWBY had intentionally let Nora know about Ruby's secret. They had been waiting for her to come walking by so that she could 'accidentally' hear their conversation. It had all been planned.

The three girls knew that Nora was a blabbermouth of the worst kind. Hearing something like Ruby being gay would be something that she couldn't possibly keep to herself. After Nora had heard their conversation, it was only a matter of time until whole Beacon knew of Ruby's sexuality.

There was a reason for this. They wanted to eliminate as much of their competition as possible.

Ever since she had entered Beacon, Ruby had started to gather herself a fanbase due to her being a prodigy that got accepted to Beacon early. While many students were jealous and hated her, others admired and loved her. Ruby's talents in fighting and studies, along with her adorable looks, drew in many admirers that eventually started a fan club dedicated to her.

The club consisted mostly of male students obviously, with a couple of female students mixed in as well. Due to the revelation of Ruby's sexuality, most of the male fans gave up on the young girl and left the club, since there was no point in chasing after a girl that would never return their feelings. Only a couple of very dedicated male students remained in the club.

This had been the goal of WBY. Since Ruby was still young, they feared that a good enough of a guy could possibly change the younger girl's view on guys and girls. Now there was no fear of that and they wouldn't need to worry about fending off any male admirers.

However, there was a flaw in their plan and it was a big one as well. They didn't anticipate the effects on the female students.

Since it had been revealed that Ruby was gay, the previously male-dominated fan club of Ruby went through a dramatic change. Not only did the already existing female fans of Ruby get new vigor into their admiration, a lot of new members joined the club. Now the club consisted mostly of female fans and was even bigger than before.

WBY's plan turned into their biggest mistake as they gained new enemies, but they were going to fix that very soon.

* * *

The members of Ruby's fan club gathered in the middle of the night during weekends. They could be seen sneaking around Beacon's hallways while wearing red cloaks similar to Ruby, eventually gathering in an empty classroom. The club members also had special cards made, so no one outside of the club could get in.

Three girls were making their way to the club's meeting place. They had their hoods pulled up, so no one was able to tell their identities. They eventually arrived at their destination and knocked on the classroom's door. The door opened to reveal a girl from the third year students standing there. She was also wearing a smilar red cloak.

''Can I see your cards?'' the third year asked and the three girls gave her the cards she wanted to see. She looked them over and nodded. ''You guys are a bit late, but come in.''

The third year student stepped out of the way as the three girls made their way into the room. The room was full of people. Mostly girls, that were wearing similar red cloaks. There were a couple of stands set up, where some members of the club were selling all sorts of merchandise of Ruby. There were posters, figurines, plushies and even body pillows. All of the members in the club were huddled around different parts of the room. Some were talking among themselves, while others were buying Ruby merchandise.

The noise was suddenly stopped by a single person in the room, who was standing behind the teacher's desk and hit it with a wooden mallet, like she was a judge in a courtroom. All the noise immediately died and attention was focused on the girl behind the desk.

''Friends and comrades. We have gathered here tonight out of our mutual love for one Ruby Rose, an absolutely adorable prodigy here in Beacon,'' the girl behind the desk began. ''Tonight we have a special reason for our gathering. As you all know, we have all sworn eternal love for Ruby.''

Murmurs were heard all over the room as the different club members agreed with the statement and nodded their heads.

''However, only one of us may claim the heart of Ruby Rose, but competing among ourselves would only lead to violence and hatred that Ruby would surely disapprove of. Thus, I have come to a solution that will not only help one of us fulfill their desire, but will also ensure that Ruby Rose won't reject them for their actions in their pursuit of love.''

''What is it that you're suggesting?'' one of the club members asked.

''I suggest that each week we randomly pick one of our members. That member has one week to win Ruby's love. If they can't do it in that time, we choose another one of us to try another week and continue until one of us succeeds. Any objections?''

Since nobody seemed to oppose the idea, the girl standing behind the desk lifted up her wooden mallet to strike down. However, before she could do so, the mallet was destroyed by a sudden gunshot.

All eyes turned on a hooded girl, who was holding a gun in one hand. She was one of three girls that arrived last.

''What the hell are you doing!? Weapons are not allowed in here!'' an angry club member yelled.

''Well you see, we don't really care about the rules here,'' another hooded girl said as she walked up to join the girl who had shot. Like the girl with the gun, she was one of the last three people to arrive last. ''We're not even really members here.''

''A couple of other girls from here let us borrow their cloaks and cards,'' the girl with the gun said. ''We gave them a fair deal, after all. A quick beatdown and being left tied up in the restrooms.''

''Who the hell are you?!'' another club member yelled.

''We are the ones who truly deserve Ruby. Only one of us may claim her heart,'' the girl without the gun spoke. She then pulled off her cloak and threw it away to reveal her identity. ''WEISS!''

The girl with the gun followed Weiss' example and threw off her cloak as well. ''BLAKE!''

After revealing their identities, the two members of team RWBY stood still and silent, like they were waiting for something. They waited silently for a moment, before starting to look around themselves.

''Where the hell are you, Yang!?'' Blake called out. ''You were supposed to finish our entrance number!''

''Over here!'' the familiar sound of Yang's voice called out. Everyone's attention turned to where the voice was heard to find the blonde at one of the stands, buying some of the Ruby merchandise. ''Sorry guys! I got caught up here a bit!''

''Yang, this is not the time for shopping!'' Weiss scolded. ''We came here to defeat the wretched Ruby fan club that's threatening to steal Ruby from us!''

''I know, I know! But have you guys seen the stuff here!? It's pure gold!'' Yang answered and motioned at some of the stuff she had gathered for purchase. She had a Ruby stuffed toy, a Ruby keychain figurine, a Ruby action figure and a Ruby body pillow. ''Too bad the prices suck! I should be getting a 75% discount since I'm Rubes' teammate!''

''Get over here already!'' Blake yelled at her partner. ''You're ruining our showy entrance!''

''But the stuff-!''

''NOW!'' both Weiss and Blake yelled at the same time.

''Fine! I'm coming, I'm coming!'' Yang said. Before she left, she turned towards the seller at the stand one more time. ''I'll be back soon.''

The blonde ran up to her teammates and threw off her cloak. ''YANG!''

The trio stood still, posing like some sort of action heroes. However, they were only met with silence as no one around them took their little show seriously. Crickets could be heard in the background.

''You guys seriously think that you look cool or something?'' one of the club members asked.

''Well, we might have messed up our entrance,'' Yang said with a shrug.

''And whose fault is that?'' Blake asked with a glare.

''NOT NOW, BLAKE!'' the blonde yelled at her partner before continuing. ''Anyways, I'm sure we can make up for a failed entrance with a simple beatdown on your sorry asses.''

The three girls of team RWBY pulled out their weapons and got ready for a fight. The air around them suddenly changed and brought fear to the Ruby fan club. Weiss chuckled as she held her rapier, Blake smirked and licked her sword and Yang cracked her knuckles while grinning like a lunatic.

The members of the Ruby fan club could only pray that their ends would come quickly and painlessly.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, the whole room had been trashed and all the Ruby fans were laying on the ground beaten. While there were many people that had more experience than the three older girls of team RWBY, there were a couple of factors that made this battle one-sided. The club had a strict rule that banned members from bringing weapons into their gatherings, so all of the WBY's opposition was unarmed. Also, Weiss, Blake and Yang were exceptionally skilled among the students of Beacon. Adding that to the fact that the three of them were fighting for the sake of Ruby and you had a terrifying trio of fighters.

''Let us make one thing clear here,'' Weiss began while standing in the middle of the room. ''We will not tolerate anyone making any moves towards Ruby Rose from now on. If she is going to belong to someone, it's going to be one of us. So if anyone is going to be stupid enough to go against us-''

''We'll kick your ass all over Beacon so hard even your grandparents feel it!'' Yang finished for Weiss.

''...That's one way to put it, I guess,'' Weiss said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. ''Now that we are done here, we'll be taking our leave. Goodbye.''

The trio left the room, leaving behind battered and bruised people to moan in pain. However, after only a couple of seconds, Yang returned to the room and went to the stand she had been at earlier buying Ruby merchandise. The items she had tried to buy were still on the stand and the seller was laying behind the stand with a broken nose and some broken bones.

''I almost forgot. I was supposed to buy these!'' Yang said happily as she walked up to her stuff. ''Now, how much were these again?''

''A-About 250 lien in total,'' the seller replied in a fearful tone.

''Actually, how about we do a trade?'' Yang suggested with a sweet smile on her face. ''I'll take these and you'll keep all of your teeth. How does that sound?''

''...I'll take that offer.''

''Great! I'll come again to see what you've got to sell! Hope I'll find something good again!'' Yang said happily as she took her ''purchases'' and left.

''I seriously hope you won't,'' the seller said to herself in a sad tone.

* * *

 **Author's notes: And there we go! Sorry if this feels a bit rushed. I was trying to get it done as fast as possible, because I want to get to some of the later chapters I'm more excited about. This chapters also has a bit of a connection to some of the later chapters, so I thought that it needed to be done. Hope you still liked it.**

 **Also, I was notified about Blake's comment in the last chapter about how she said that 'men can be vile and horrible to women'. It was honestly not meant to offend anyone. It was there because I felt it fit well with the story, in that the girls were trying to encourage Ruby in her sexuality and also to work towards their own end goal. I do know that women can be just as bad. Nothing is determined about us automatically by our gender, race, sexuality or religion. It was there for the story and nothing else. Also, it kind of sucked to write it as a guy.**

 **In short, sorry if you were offended and thanks to the person who brought it up.**

 **Anyways, I'll soon get to working on the next chapter and I'll try to get it done soon. After that, I might get back to Dragon Unleashed. I feel like I can tackle it again, but I'll most likely switch between it and this.**

 **Please leave reviews, faves and follows. They help me continue this.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	5. Valentine's Day at Beacon

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 5: Valentine's Day at Beacon**

The three older girls of team RWBY were in their dorm, planning on how to woo Ruby again. Their classes had been cancelled due to one of the classrooms being completely destroyed. It was unknown as to what caused the room to look like it had been occupied by rampaging grimm, but the trio knew along with a certain group of people. Those same people who were currently in the infirmary from numerous bruises and wounds.

The WBY was currently planning for a very special upcoming day. It would soon be Valentine's Day in Beacon and the three girls didn't want to let such a good opportunity slip past them. Each of the three girls had their own idea on what the best possible way to spend time with Ruby would be. Unfortunately, there was a big problem.

Only one of them could have Ruby for Valentine's Day. This lead to the three girls getting into a heated argument over who was the best one to take Ruby out.

''How many times do I have to tell you idiots that I'm the best one for Ruby!?'' Weiss yelled at her teammates. ''The dinner that I have planned for her at the finest restaurant in the city will surely be a thing for her to remember! They even have a special show on Valentine's Day!''

''You can't get love with money alone, _princess_!'' Blake growled. ''On the other hand, I've got something much more romantic and special planned that Ruby will surely love! My favorite bookstore in the city has a special event, where all couples get to read romance novels for free while snuggling in secluded areas! Our mutual love for books will make it the greatest date ever!''

''Both of your ideas are dumb and lame!'' Yang yelled. ''I'm the master when it comes to Ruby, so back off! I'll take her to the movies to see one of biggest and greatest action movies, before taking her to a club to dance the night away! I might also be able to get her a bit tipsy with some drinks that will lead to her realizing her love for me and me alone!''

''Ruby's 15, Yang! You can't have her drink alcohol!'' Weiss yelled at the blonde.

''Oh, like you weren't going to do the same at that restaurant of yours!'' Yang shot back.

''Both of your plans are wrong and disgusting! I'm the only one with a pure and innocent plan!'' Blake yelled at her teammates.

As the three girls continued to argue, they failed to notice their team leader entering the room. They were too focused on their argument to notice the younger girl opening the door. However, Ruby didn't really notice what her teammates were arguing about. She was deep in thought and was looking down at her feet. Only when the redhead closed the door, did her teammates notice her arrival. They immediately noticed the strange mood around Ruby and quickly rushed to her side to offer help.

''Ruby, is something wrong?'' Weiss asked in a concerned voice.

''Please tell us what's wrong. We might be able to help,'' Blake added.

''Do you need a hug?'' Yang asked with a smile, trying to work the situation to her advantage, which earned her a punch to the head from Blake.

Having the three older girls suddenly appear in front of her and start talking to her broke Ruby out of her thoughts. She looked up to see her teammates stare at her with concerned faces.

''Oh, hi guys,'' Ruby answered in a shy tone. ''Nothing's wrong. Just thinking about stuff.''

Blake sighed and took Ruby by the hand before leading the younger girl to her bed. She had her sit down on it and the three older girls were around their leader again.

''Look, Ruby, we know when something's bothering you,'' Blake said. ''Now tell us what's bothering you.''

Ruby looked at her teammates and sighed. ''Well you see, Valentine's Day is coming up, right?'' she asked to which the three older girls nodded. ''I was wondering what I should do, if I have this girl that I like.''

The WBY froze in their spots. These news just hit them hard and out of nowhere. All of their previous plans were scrapped immediately as a new thought entered their heads.

 _'IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME!?'_ the three older girls thought at the same time. Each of them could only imagine that Ruby had fallen in love with them.

''I thought that I should confess to her, but I thought I should do something else, as well. What do you guys think?'' Ruby asked.

''You should kneel in front of her, take her hand, kiss it and tell her that you're the servant of her heart!'' Weiss suggested.

''You should rub her ears affectionately and with passion, while your body is covered with tuna!'' Blake suggested.

''You should hug her from behind and tell her in a shy voice that she can do anything she wants to you!'' Yang suggested.

Ruby stared at her teammates with wide eyes. While she thought that those were actual suggestions from them, she didn't know that they were their own fantasies of their team leader that they have had.

''I was thinking more along giving her some flowers and chocolate,'' Ruby said quietly.

''That's good as well,'' the WBY said in unison.

''I was thinking about getting her roses, even though it's kind of cliche,'' the redhead said. ''But what color of roses should I get?''

''Oh, that's easy!'' Weiss said happily. ''You should get her white ones! White is the color of purity, after all. You're showing her your pure love by giving her those.''

''Please, that's like from a fairy tale,'' Blake said with a snort, which earned her a glare from the heiress. ''Black roses are a symbol of true love. You are letting out your deepest hidden feelings out for the world and the one you love to know.''

''Wow, that's a really emo way of looking at love,'' Yang said, causing the cat faunus to growl angrily. ''Listen Rubes, yellow roses are what you should go for! Yellow is the color of warmth! You are taking the warmth you feel from your love and attempt to spread it to the one you love!''

The three older girls were soon arguing over which color of roses was the best. Ruby could only stare blankly at her teammates before letting out a sigh and shaking her head.

''How about I just get red roses?'' the younger girl asked.

''Those are good, too,'' the three older girls answered in unison again.

''And what type of chocolate should I get?''

''White chocolate!'' Weiss yelled.

''Dark chocolate!'' Blake yelled.

''Chocolate with peanuts in it!'' Yang yelled.

''...I'll just get normal milk chocolate.''

* * *

It was finally Valentine's Day in Beacon and the three older girls of team RWBY were preparing themselves in their dorm. Weiss was putting on perfume, Blake was trying on different bows and Yang was checking herself in front of a mirror. All three girls were certain that Ruby had been talking about them, when she mentioned a girl that she liked.

''I have to say, Rubes is such a tease,'' Yang said with a smile as she flexed her muscles in front of the mirror. ''Even with all our questioning, she wouldn't tell us the person she liked.''

''She probably wanted to leave it as a surprise,'' Blake said as she tried another bow. ''It is Valentine's Day, after all. She wants to make it as memorable as possible.''

''Still, she could have told us who she liked,'' Weiss said with a smirk as she finished putting on her perfume. ''After all, we all know it's going to be me.''

''LIKE HELL YOU ARE!'' Yang and Blake yelled at Weiss. All three girls were now glaring at each other silently with eyes full of rage.

Blake decided to break the silence. ''Look, we all think that Ruby is in love with us, okay? Let's go and see for ourselves who she picks and let that decide it. Winner takes it all, losers weep. Alright?''

Weiss and Yang nodded. The three girls made their last preparations before leaving the dorm and heading towards the cafeteria, since Ruby had told them that she would be making her confession there. Once the trio had arrived there, they started looking around for their team leader. When they couldn't find her, they decided to wait.

After a couple of minutes of waiting, Ruby arrived at the cafeteria with a box of chocolate in one hand and a bouquet of red roses in the other. The WBY could feel their heartbeats go faster as the young team leader approached them.

Ruby eventually arrived in front of her teammates and stopped. She turned to look at the three older girls, who were now holding their breaths in anticipation.

''Wish me luck, you guys,'' Ruby whispered to her teammates before walking away from them.

The WBY could only stare with wide eyes and shock as their team leader walked away and towards someone else. That someone was the leader of team CFVY, Coco Adel. The fashionable huntress was currently in a conversation with her teammate, Velvet.

''E-Excuse me, C-Coco?'' Ruby said in a shy voice, catching the older girl's attention. The redhead offered the flowers and chocolate to Coco. ''W-Would you be my valentine?''

Velvet let out a small gasp as the biggest smile spread across her face, while Coco lifted up her sunglasses to stare at the younger girl in front of her with wide eyes. Ruby had her eyes closed and was blushing so badly her face resembled her cloak. Her body was also trembling from anticipation.

Coco lifted her gaze from the younger team leader to look at Ruby's teammates. To say the least, they were not happy with this recent development. Weiss was shaking with rage and her face was red like a tomato. Yang's left eye was twitching and both of her eyes were changing colors between red and lilac. Blake seemed calm at first glance, but you could see her bow twitching and that her hands were balled up into fists so hard that blood was dripping from her hands.

Upon seeing the WBY's reaction, Coco smirked. She immediately understood the situation and what was going on. The fashionista decided to do the right thing and respond to Ruby.

''Red, I'm flattered, but unfortunately I can't be your valentine,'' Coco replied with a sad smile. ''I'm afraid that we wouldn't work together as a couple.''

Ruby's eyes shot open and went wide. Even Velvet looked shocked at Coco's rejection. The redhead looked down with a sad smile on her face.

''I should have expected this, I guess,'' Ruby said sadly. ''I'm not exactly the perfect girlfriend material, after all.''

''Hey now, don't be like that!'' Coco said with a smile as she pulled Ruby into a hug in an attempt to cheer her up. ''Any girl would be lucky to have you and I know that there's someone out there for you! Trust me on this!''

''I'm not sure if you're speaking the truth, but thanks, Coco,'' Ruby said. ''Can you still take the flowers and the chocolate? I got them for you, after all.''

''Of course! I do love me some chocolate!'' Coco said and took the gifts Ruby offered her. ''And don't look down on yourself too much. You're a great girl and I'm sure that you will find true love from someone. They might be closer than you think.''

''Thank you,'' Ruby said before turning around and leaving the two older girls. ''Sorry to have bothered you.''

''No worries, Red! Like I said, I'm flattered!'' Coco replied to the younger girl with a big smile.

The three older girls of team RWBY watched with wide eyes as Ruby walked past them and out of the cafeteria, heading straight towards her team's dorm. The trio knew that Ruby was most likely heartbroken and saddened from Coco's rejection. They turned to look at each other with one thing in mind.

 _'GOLDEN CHANCE!'_ they all thought at the same time before racing after their team leader in hopes of being the first one to get to comfort Ruby.

* * *

''I can't believe you, Coco,'' Velvet said to her team leader while staring at her with disappointment in her eyes. The two of them were currently on their way to their dorm.

''What exactly do you mean, Velvs?'' Coco asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk as she took one of the chocolates Ruby had given her and put it in her mouth. ''Mmmm. Red knows how to pick some good chocolate.''

''I'm talking about you rejecting Ruby!'' Velvet said in a harsh tone. ''Why would you do that!? All this time you've told me how cute and nice she is, yet when she confesses her feelings for you, you suddenly decide to break her heart!''

Coco shook her head and let out a chuckle. ''Vel, just because I like her, doesn't mean I love her. There's a big difference there. Also, she's not in love with me, she just admires me and is just having a crush.''

''What?'' Velvet asked out of confusion.

''I recognize simply having a crush from actually being in love. I've been there myself,'' Coco stated. ''It's sad that I had to reject her, but I'm sure it would have hurt more for us to get together and only have the relationship end up in a quick break-up. We're just too different.''

Velvet thought about Coco's words for a moment and realized the truth behind them. Ruby was still young and this was probably her first time experiencing feelings like this. Coco was a really strong and cool person that Ruby would certainly admire, but falling in love would require more. The rabbit faunus had to admit that her team leader had done the right thing, no matter how much it disappointed her. She couldn't help but think that Coco and Ruby would have looked cute together.

''Also, I don't want to die,'' Coco suddenly added.

''Huh?''

''Did you see Red's teammates? They looked like they were ready to skin me alive. I would rather face an entire army of grimm before facing those three.''

Velvet thought back to when Ruby had made her confession. She had noticed the other members of team RWBY not looking all that pleased, when the young team leader confessed her feelings. The rabbit faunus had thought that the three girls were simply being protective, but thinking back on it there was obviously something else going on. The trio seemed way too angry to simply be protective of their youngest member. Velvet gulped at the thought of what could have happened, if Coco had accepted Ruby's feelings. She could only hope that the younger girl would be safe with her teammates pursuing her.

* * *

The WBY was currently racing towards their dorm to get the chance to comfort Ruby. Each of the girls felt that the first one to do so would surely have a better chance at making the young team leader fall in love with them. The three girls were pushing, punching, kicking and tripping each other in an attempt at beating the others in their race.

The trio finally made their way to their dorm and rushed in. They were about to call out Ruby's name, until they saw the mood she was in. The redhead was sitting on her bed with a sad look on her face. The WBY immediately stopped with their attempts at wooing the girl and decided to simply offer her comfort.

''Ruby, are you alright?'' Weiss asked with concern in her voice.

''We saw what happened with Coco. It's a real shame,'' Blake added.

''Don't let it get to you. She doesn't know what she's missing,'' Yang said.

Ruby looked at her teammates with a sad smile that nearly broke the older girls' hearts. ''Thanks guys, but I should have expected this. I'm not exactly something a person looks for in a girlfriend, after all. I'm just a brat that lucked out in getting to Beacon and I'm pretty much a geek and not cool-''

The rest of Ruby's speech was cut off, when Yang pulled the younger girl off her bed and into a powerful hug.

''Don't say that. Don't you ever say that again,'' Yang said sternly while hugging the younger girl. ''You're an incredible person, Ruby. There's not a thing wrong with you at all. So don't ever say things like that about yourself.''

''You deserve to be here,'' Weiss said and went to hug Ruby as well. ''You have shown us several times that you have more than enough skill to earn your place here. The teachers know that along with everyone around you. And most of all, we know that.''

''And there's nothing wrong with your personality,'' Blake added and joined in the hug, too, ''If you were any different, you wouldn't be yourself anymore and that would be just wrong. We want you around, not someone who just looks like you. It's because of who you are that we care about you so much.''

Ruby couldn't help but let a few tears escape her eyes upon hearing her teammates' kind words. ''Thank you. Thank you so much.''

Team RWBY stood in silence like that for a moment with the three older girls hugging and comforting their youngest member. After a couple of minutes had passed, Yang decided to suggest an idea she had.

''Hey Ruby, how about we simply spend the rest of the day simply relaxing in our dorm? We can get some food and watch movies and play video games all day. How does that sound?'' Yang asked.

Ruby nodded. ''Sounds good. If you guys want to, I'd be happy to.''

''Of course we want to!'' Weiss exclaimed happily.

''You just stay here and try to relax, while we get something for us to eat. You've had a rough day, after all,'' Blake added to which Ruby nodded.

The three older girls broke the hug and left the room, heading towards the cafeteria to get some food. On their way, they couldn't help but think about how sad Ruby had just been.

''I suppose none of us got their wish,'' Weiss said with a sad smile.

''Yeah, but I don't feel like competing for Ruby's affection, right now,'' Blake said.

''How about we just try to enjoy the day with Ruby and agree on a truce? I personally don't want to put Rubes through any more than she has already gone through today,'' Yang said to which the other two girls agreed. They would stop their war for now, but would continue tomorrow.

As they made their way to the cafeteria, Blake suddenly stopped walking. The other two girls noticed their teammates odd behavior and turned to look at her. Blake was standing still and looking at something with wide eyes. Weiss and Yang turned to look at what had caught their teammate's attention and saw Jaune and Pyrrha. The blonde boy was standing in front of the amazon and was looking like a nervous wreck. He was also holding something behind his back

''Pyrrha... Ummm... I know that I'm not the best huntsman around or the best anything, to be honest. But I can't help but feel like I need to ask you something very important,'' Jaune then revealed what he was holding behind his back to reveal a bouquet of red roses and a box of chocolate. He offered them to his partner. ''Will you be my valentine?''

Pyrrha let out a gasp as a big smile spread across her face and a few tears fell from her eyes. She pulled Jaune into a big hug to let him know that he had not been rejected.

Meanwhile, the WBY was staring at the scene with wide eyes and shocked looks on their faces. One thought went through their minds at the same time, _'THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH ME AND RUBY! THIS IS SO NOT FAIR!'_

* * *

 **Author's notes: I know, I know. Valentine's Day is already over and this is late for the party. I just don't know when the holiday is, since it doesn't really mean anything to me. I mean, we don't even get the day off from work. Besides, better late than never, right?**

 **Anyways, I think I'm going to go back to Dragon Unleashed now. You guys should prepare to wait for a while, though. The next chapter that I'm planning for it is most likely going to be a really long one, so it will take some time.**

 **Oh well, you can't write a decent story with only a couple of words, can you? Time to get to work.**

 **Until next time, folks!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	6. Cloaking Problems

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 6: Cloaking Problems**

Weiss was running through the halls of Beacon towards her team's dorm. She had just finished her studies in the library and was now trying to beat Blake and Yang in finding Ruby first. If she were to find the redhead first and possibly alone, she would get the chance of getting Ruby alone on a date with her. This would lead to her having a better chance at winning the girl over for good.

The heiress barged through the door to her dorm, expecting to find her team leader reading a book or playing video games. However, she was disappointed to find the room empty, with no Ruby anywhere in sight. Weiss gave a disappointed sigh and was about to go look for the redhead from somewhere else, but something red caught her eye. It was Ruby's cloak. Apparently, the team leader had accidentally left it in the dorm.

Weiss was about to leave again, but she thought about the cloak. Ruby seemed to wear it everywhere she went, no matter what. What was so special about it? It looked good on her, sure, but it often got caught into all sorts of stuff. It seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. The heiress couldn't help but get curious about the red piece of clothing. She decided to go and take a closer look at it. She picked it up and examined it a bit.

''I have to say, it doesn't look bad,'' Weiss said to herself. ''It's really well-made and the color is good. The fabric feels good, as well.''

The white-haired girl kept on examining the cloak, until an idea came to her. She decided to try it on and wrapped it over her shoulders. Weiss immediately felt warmth spread over her body. It was like she was in a warm embrace. Happy childhood memories flooded her mind of when her mother used to hold her close. She couldn't help but think that hugging Ruby probably felt just as good. The heiress couldn't help but sink into the sensation she was feeling.

''It's like the gentle embrace of summer,'' Weiss said to herself with a dreamy look on her face as she hugged the cloak closer to her body. ''I can understand why she wears this.''

''Weiss, what are you doing?''

Said girl froze as she heard the familiar voice of her blonde teammate behind her. She slowly turned around to see both Yang and Blake standing there, looking at her. The blonde had a frown on her face as she glared at Weiss, while Blake simply looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

''Just what the hell do you think you're doing with Ruby's cloak?'' Yang asked with barely hidden anger in her voice. ''How did you even get your hands on it?''

''She left it here!'' Weiss explained hastily. ''I came here looking for her and found her cloak just sitting here! I got curious about it, since she's almost never seen without it and decided to try it out!''

''Alright, so you've had your fun. Now take it off!'' Yang commanded. She didn't like Weiss wearing Ruby's cloak. For some reason it bothered her.

''...No,'' Weiss responded almost inaudibly.

''What?''

''I said no! I want to wear this for at least a little while longer! It's so warm and just feels good!'' Weiss yelled and pulled the cloak around her closer. ''I'll take it off once I'm done!''

Yang was about to say something, but Blake suddenly appeared behind the heiress and pulled the cloak away from her. The faunus had managed to sneak behind Weiss while she and Yang were distracted with each other.

''Hey, give that back!'' the white-haired girl yelled and tried to jump at Blake, who simply stepped out of the way and let Weiss tumble to the floor.

''I think you've had enough fun already,'' Blake said before wrapping the red cloak over her own shoulders. ''It's my turn now.''

The cat faunus felt how soft the fabric of the cloak was. The silky and smooth feel was practically addictive to her. Blake grabbed a handful of the cloak and brought it up to her face. She started to rub her cheek against it and the sensation she felt reminded her of how her mother used to stroke her head, when she was sad or just needed comfort. Blake imagined that Ruby herself felt like this.

Before the cat faunus could properly sink into the sensation she was feeling, Yang walked up to her and took the cloak away from her. Blake tried to take it back, but the blonde simply pushed her away.

''You two have had your fill,'' Yang stated. She then proceeded to do what her two teammates had done and wrapped the cloak over her shoulders. ''Now it's time for me to try this!''

The one thing the blonde immediately noticed about the cloak was it's scent. It smelled like roses and strawberries. It was a gentle smell that brought back memories of Yang's late stepmother and Ruby's mother, Summer Rose. It was also the scent of Ruby herself, as well. The blonde brought the cloak closer to her nose and breathed in it's scent deeply.

''I could seriously get addicted to this,'' Yang said with a dreamy look on her face. She then noticed the mirror and quickly walked to it to check herself out. The blonde nodded approvingly to herself as she posed in front of the mirror. ''Gotta say, this is pretty stylish! Maybe I can get something similar made for myself.''

As Yang continued posing, Blake came from behind her and snatched the cloak away from her.

''Hey, I want to see how I look with this on, as well!'' Blake said angrily and was about to put the cloak on, but Weiss grabbed a hold of it and started pulling on it.

''I was here first! You two can have it once I'm done with it!'' the heiress yelled as she and the cat faunus were pulling on the cloak, trying to get it out of the other one's grasp. Soon Yang joined the fight and started to pull on the red piece of clothing, as well.

''I wasn't done with it yet! You guys had it longer than I did!'' the blonde argued.

The three girls kept on arguing over who gets the cloak and continued pulling on it. It wasn't long until a loud noise of something tearing apart was heard and all three girls fell on the floor as the cloak was finally torn to pieces. The WBY sat up and looked at each other and the cloak's remains with horrified looks. They had just destroyed something very precious to their beloved team leader. If Ruby found out about this, she wouldn't forgive it easily, if ever. Yang was looking especially terrified, as her face was pale.

''We... We can fix this, right!?'' Weiss asked with slight hope. ''We just need some thread and a needle and we can make it as good as new!''

''I hope one of you guys is good at sewing,'' Blake said as she looked at Weiss. ''I'm not.''

''I... had servants who did all the sewing,'' the heiress said as hope slowly left her voice. ''I was hoping one of you two could do it.''

''I don't think this is such an easy fix,'' Yang said quietly as she stared at the pieces of the cloak with wide eyes.

''How come?'' Blake asked.

''This cloak was something Ruby's mom gave her before dying. It's something she has always had with her ever since,'' the blonde explained, making her two teammates let out shocked gasps. ''She will never forgive us for this, once she finds out.''

''M-Maybe we can replace it!? Let's hide this one and go to a clothing store-'' Blake said before the sound of the door opening cut her off. All three girls slowly turned their gazes at the door to see Ruby standing there, looking at them with wide eyes.

''Guys? What's going on?'' the redhead asked.

''THIS IS ALL THEIR FAULT!'' Weiss yelled while pointing at the other two older girls. ''I was just trying out your cloak only for a moment, when they jumped in and started to pull it apart!''

''I AM NOT AT FAULT HERE!'' Blake yelled back. ''It was you two who started to pull it out of my hands while I was holding it!''

''YOU TWO ARE AT FAULT HERE!'' Yang yelled. ''If you guys hadn't taken the cloak from me before my turn ended, we wouldn't be in this mess!''

The three older girls of team RWBY kept on arguing whose fault it was that the red piece of clothing was destroyed, blaming each other while making excuses for themselves. Ruby watched the childish arguing for a while, before letting out a sigh and shaking her head.

''You guys do know that if you had wanted to borrow my cloak, you could have just asked? I've got plenty of spares,'' the young team leader said, making the other girls stop their arguing and stare at Ruby with wide eyes. They watched as the redhead walked over to the closet and opened it to show about a dozen similar red cloaks that the three older girls had just destroyed. ''See? I've got plenty to spare.''

''That is certainly a relief to know,'' Yang said. ''But what about the one your mom gave you? I thought that you were always wearing it.''

''I stopped doing that a long time ago, Yang. I'm going to be a huntress, after all. I shouldn't bring something that important with me to face grimm,'' Ruby explained as she dug through her closet a bit more. She pulled out a brown box and opened it to reveal a red cloak that was very similar to the one that had been destroyed. ''But I do have it here. I just don't wear it all the time. This is the one thing that I have to remind myself of mom and I couldn't live with myself if it were damaged. Every now and then, when I feel really sad, I take it out and put it on. It brings back memories and makes it feel like mom is right here with me.''

The WBY watched as Ruby hugged the cloak against herself. They couldn't help but smile at the sight in front of them. It was very touching to watch the younger girl hug the one thing she had left of her late mother.

''However, if you were to cause any, and I do mean ANY, harm to this cloak, I will personally skin you alive and dip you in salt, for starters,'' Ruby said with a glare directed at her teammates and a murderous aura around her. The three older girls felt like they were staring at the Grimm Reaper himself and were absolutely terrified. ''Understood?''

''YES, SIR!'' the WBY said quickly in unison.

''Good. Then I can trust you guys not to touch it, correct?''

''ABSOLUTELY! WE WON'T LAY A FINGER ON IT, SIR!''

''Isn't it lovely when we can all come to a peaceful agreement?'' Ruby said with the sweetest smile on her face.

* * *

The next day, Ruby was walking towards her team's dorm, not knowing what awaited her behind the door. When she walked in the room, she was met with the sight of her teammates wearing her spare cloaks and taking turns posing in front of the mirror. The three girls were also arguing who looked best while wearing the red piece of clothing.

 _'Why do I find this sight oddly disturbing?'_ Ruby thought to herself.

* * *

 **Author's notes: A little shorter chapter this time, but this is what I meant when I talked about some of the chapters being smaller. The chapter's length depends on how much there is for me to write about it, so some chapter's will be about this length. Hope you guys still liked it, though.**

 **Please tell me how you liked this chapter. I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts on it.**

 **Until next time, folks!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	7. Everyone Has Secrets

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 7: Everyone Has Secrets**

Each and every single one of us has one thing in common. We all have secrets. And these secrets are not just your obligatory ''password'' or ''some other thing you're not allowed to speak of'' secrets. They are our very own personal secrets. Things we keep hidden from others in fear that they might change everyone's way of looking at us. No matter how much trouble it is for us to keep theses secrets, we keep them since we hold those things dear.

The three older girls of team RWBY are no different from this. Each one of them has a secret that they are afraid of revealing, since it could damage their reputation. Let's take a look, shall we?

* * *

Due to being born into a rich family, many believed that Weiss had a completely easy life. This was true for the most part. The heiress never had to worry about basic necessities such as food, clothes, a bed to sleep in and so on. In fact, all of that was not only provided almost automatically, but it was the best it could ever be. The food was prepared by some of the best chefs in the world, her clothes were made by the best designers and her bed was fit for royalty. Weiss even had servants to fulfill her every wish and to do almost all work for her. With all of this, her life seemed practically perfect.

However, there were problems in her life. One of these problem was that while Weiss was given practically everything she wanted, she was not allowed to indulge in entertainment that didn't meet a certain criteria. What this meant was that the heiress was only allowed to take part in activities that were deemed high-class, such as operas or theater. Anything that her father saw as ''vulgar'' or ''low-class'' was strictly forbidden. Weiss had to keep up an appearance of a civilized and noble young lady.

This lead to the heiress' little secret. Whenever she was completely alone, she would set up Dustflix and watch some of the more crude and vulgar comedy shows she could find. Stand up comedians, comedy series, live shows, anything that could satisfy Weiss' need for a good laugh. It shouldn't be a huge surprise that she was drawn into this sort of humor. After all, it was something that she had been denied almost all of her life, so the world of crude humor was something she was able to explore with almost a childish glee.

Weiss was currently sitting on her bed, watching a live show based of one her favorite comedy shows on the TV. The live shows were much wilder, since there was no need to censor anything and the writers could get away with almost anything. The heiress was sitting on her bed, wearing loose clothes and laughing out loud. She was currently the only one in the dorm and the others would be away for a while, giving her the chance to indulge herself in her secret hobby.

Unfortunately for Weiss, a certain redhead walked in while she was still watching her show. The heiress was too absorbed in her entertainment to hear the footsteps approaching the room or even the door opening and closing. It was only when Ruby spoke did she notice that she had company.

''Hey Weiss, what are you watching?'' Ruby asked with a smile on her face, making the white-haired girl quickly turn around and look at her with wide eyes.

''RUBY!?'' Weiss yelled out of shock. ''When did you-!? I mean, weren't you supposed to be studying in the library!?''

''I was at first, but I had to leave when Nora ran in and started to cause havoc. Apparently, she overdosed herself with caffeine and is now going completely crazy,'' the team leader explained with a sigh. She then turned her attention back to the TV. ''Anyways, what are you watching?''

''Ummm... I was just... just...'' the heiress mumbled, trying her hardest to come up with an excuse, but nothing came to mind.

 _''For heaven's sake, Eddie! What if my mom sees this!?''_

 _''I wouldn't be too worried about that, Richie. I believe she will be too busy getting banged by me!''_

Weiss blushed from embarrassment from the joke that came from the TV. She looked down in shame and awaited for what she knew would come. Ruby would laugh at her for watching something so crude and filthy, and would never look at the heiress the same way again.

''Ha ha ha! That was a good one! What is this show called? I like it!'' the team leader said, surprising Weiss. The redhead did laugh, but it was not at her. It was at the show on TV. Not to mention, Ruby apparently liked what she was watching. Weiss couldn't help but smile at the idea that the girl she was in love with had accepted what she was watching.

''It's one of the live shows that are based of the comedy TV series, Bottom,'' Weiss answered.

''Oh! I thought this looked familiar!'' Ruby exclaimed, surprising the heiress. ''Yang and I saw bits and pieces of this when we were kids. We sometimes caught our dad watching this, but he wouldn't let us watch this. Especially the live shows. I have always wanted to watch them properly.''

''Do you... Do you really mean that?'' Weiss asked. She just had to make sure. ''You're okay with me watching stuff like this?''

Ruby gave her partner a confused look. ''Why wouldn't I be okay with you watching this?''

''Oh, it's a long story. Let's just say that I'm not exactly supposed to even like this sort of stuff,'' the heiress explained while looking down with a sad look on her face. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see the smiling face of her team leader looking at her.

''Weiss, you can't decide what you like. You like things simply because you like them and I personally would never look down on you for liking this. That's a promise,'' Ruby said while looking straight into her partner's eyes.

Weiss couldn't help but blush at Ruby's words. The way the younger girl said those words really touched her heart and made her fall in love with the redhead even more.

''Thank you, Ruby. Would you like to watch this with me or do you have some other plans?'' Weiss asked hopefully.

Ruby nodded. ''Sure! But can you put it back to the beginning? I would like to watch it completely.''

The heiress smirked as an idea came to her. ''On one condition. You have to sit next to me and lean on me.''

''Why?'' the team leader asked with a slightly confused look on her face.

''Oh, it's just that our conversation brought back some rather unpleasant memories and I could use some comfort, if you don't mind,'' Weiss quickly lied.

''Oh! Okay!'' Ruby said happily and sat next to her partner and leaned on her. The white-haired girl wrapped her arm around the younger girl and pulled her closer before restarting the show on the TV. The two of them sat like that for a good while, cuddling together and laughing at the jokes that came from the TV. It was one of the happiest moments of Weiss' life and she couldn't help but fall in love with Ruby all over again, as she got to share one of her heart's biggest secrets to the girl she loved.

* * *

It's no secret that the faunus get treated wrongly all over Remnant, with Atlas being the biggest in the mistreatment of the population, Vale being second and Mistral third. Vacuo was the one with least of this, with racism towards the faunus being almost non-existent in the kingdom. There were still individuals who were racist towards the faunus, but their amount was tiny compared to the other kingdoms. It was because of the mistreatment that they faced that a lot of the faunus had started to take action towards stopping the misguided hatred of their kind.

While a lot of the faunus population took an active role in fighting racism, ranging from the radical White Fang to more peaceful protestors, some took a more passive role. They would simply prove the misguided accusations wrong through their own actions. This meant behaving in a way that was against the stereotypical faunus behavior.

Since the faunus have different animal traits in their appearance, many people believe that they act like those animals. Unfortunately, these presumptions are often true. For example, a lot of faunus like certain foods based on their animal traits. Sun likes bananas, Velvet loves carrots and Blake is obsessed with fish. It's because of traits like these that a lot of racist people have their wrong beliefs enforced. If one thing is true, why wouldn't the other things be? To counter this, a lot of faunus force themselves not to act according to their animal side. They stay away from the food they love and try not to do other things people might assume them doing.

Blake was also like this. She was willing to do almost anything to fight against the inequality between the humans and the faunus, which lead to her joining the White Fang. However, since she was no more willing to fight alongside her former comrades, she needed to find different ways to oppose the thing she hated most in the world. One of these was to try and not give in to her cat-like instincts. While she was unable to stop her obsession with fish, she was able to not give in to other things that tempted her cat side, such as chasing butterflies, red dots from laser pointers or anything else like that, most of the time at least.

This all lead to her big secret. Whenever she found time alone for herself, she would make most of the opportunity by giving in to her cat instincts. The cat faunus would get a big cardboard box and curl up in it with all sorts of toys for cats, such as a ball of yarn, a rubber mouse and so on. She even had a jar of catnip with her. Blake would stay in the box for long periods of time, playing with her toys and enjoying catnip. She basically transforms into a big kitten.

The raven-haired girl was curled up in her box while playing with her rubber mouse, when Ruby walked into the room. Blake had not expected any of her teammates to come in while she was doing her thing, so she didn't notice the redhead enter the room. Ruby noticed the big box in the middle of the room and was immediately curious of it. She walked up to it and peeked inside to see her faunus teammate mewing and purring like a cat with a toy mouse in hands.

''Blake, what are you doing?'' Ruby asked.

Upon hearing her team leader's question, Blake's eyes shot wide open and she slowly turned her gaze to look at the curious redhead staring down at her. She started to think of what to tell the younger girl. Would she lie or simply tell the truth?

''Ruby... This is... Ummm...''

''Blake, I just saw you curled up in a cardboard box with all sorts of cat toys while mewing and purring like a kitten. Could you please just tell me the truth?''

The cat faunus let out a sad sigh. She knew that she might as well tell the truth. There was simply nothing she could say that would be a plausible excuse to what she was doing.

''You see, Ruby, we faunus have certain traits and urges based on our species,'' Blake explained. ''Most of the time I'm able to not give in to my animalistic urges, but it can become really hard sometimes. So when I'm alone I give in to my deep desires and urges. It's relieving to do so and it makes me feel really good.''

Blake looked down sadly and felt like she was about to cry. She had just let out her biggest and most shameful secret to the girl she loved. The cat faunus felt all her hopes and dreams slowly beginning to shatter, as she waited for Ruby to start laughing at her.

However, she was surprised as a hand started to gently stroke her head and her cat ears, which was not only comforting but also felt really good. Blake looked up to see Ruby looking at her with a gentle smile on her face.

''Blake, I would never look down on you because of something like this. You don't need to pretend to be something other than yourself in front of me and I'm sure Weiss and Yang would feel the same way, too. So until you feel that you can tell them or anyone else about this, you should know that you don't need to pretend to be anything other than yourself to me, at the very least,'' Ruby said.

The raven-haired girl didn't respond with words, but with actions. She suddenly grabbed the front of Ruby's shirt with both hands and pulled her into the box, making the younger girl let out a small yelp of surprise. The redhead soon found herself unable to move, as Blake had wrapped herself around the younger girl tightly.

''B-Blake, what are you-!?'' Ruby began, but was silenced by a finger on her lips.

''Shhh. Please, let me enjoy this a bit, Ruby,'' Blake said. ''Although, can I ask you a favor?''

''What is it?''

''Can you stroke my ears again? It feels really good when you do that.''

Ruby did as Blake had requested and began stroking the faunus' ears, making her purr. They staid like that for quite some time, enjoying each other's warmth. Blake also felt how her love and admiration towards her team leader was taken to a new level with this experience.

* * *

If there was one thing Yang loved besides Ruby, it was action. There was almost nothing better for the blonde than getting her adrenaline pumping through one way or another. Action games, movies or simply getting into a fight with Junior's goons would provide her the rush she needed. She was practically addicted to the sensation of her blood pumping and the excitement she got. This helped in creating her biggest secret, which was that she sometimes had to create her own action somewhat.

However, it wasn't just Yang's addiction to adrenaline rushes that made this secret hobby of hers. In fact, a lot of it was made from her childhood. Since Ruby's mother died when she was very young, Yang had taken somewhat of a role of ''surrogate mother'' to the younger girl. This lead to her having to grow up quickly for the sake of the redhead, which lead to the blonde losing a good chunk of her time as a child in the process. She still had a childhood, it wasn't just as fulfilling as with other children. This was a major factor in making her hobby that would become her biggest secret, too.

What was this hobby? Well, sometimes when Yang was all alone, she would take out a small box she had hidden and use it's contents to not only fill her need for action and excitement, but also to fill the void that was left in her life. The box was full of the blonde's favorite action figures and other toys from her childhood. She would play with them in secret and laugh with joy for long periods of time.

Unfortunately for Yang, she did the same mistake her other two teammates did and was too focused on her hobby to notice a certain redhead enter the room. When Ruby entered the dorm, she immediately noticed the blonde sitting at her desk and making odd movements and noises, while sometimes laughing. Curious about what her stepsister was doing, the young team leader decided to investigate. What she saw only increased her curiosity, as she saw that Yang had a table full of all sorts of toys in front of her and seemed to be having a lot of fun with them.

''Yang, what are you doing?'' Ruby asked.

Immediately upon hearing the younger girl's voice, Yang froze on the spot. She had been so focused on the battle between Optimus Prime and the Cobra Commander that she couldn't notice Ruby before it was too late. The blonde slowly turned to look at her younger stepsister with wide eyes to see the girl looking at her with curiosity.

''R-Ruby? How long have you been there?'' Yang asked with fear in her voice.

''I came in around the time when Venom defeated Batman and Optimus Prime swore vengeance upon him and Cobra Commander. Why?''

Yang stared down at her lap and blushed deep red from embarrassment. She could almost cry from this situation, but was somehow able to hold her tears in. She had just ruined her image in front of the one person she loved more than anything. No longer was she the ''cool'' and ''badass'' big sister. Now she was just a childish dork to the love of her life.

''Yang, is something wrong?'' Ruby asked and put a hand on the older girl's shoulder. Her expression had changed from curious to concerned.

''W-Well you see, Ruby, I-I like to do this every once in a while when I'm alone. This way I can somewhat relive my childhood that I lost. When your mom died, I decided to become your surrogate mom and it kind of took from my time as a child. That's why I-'' Yang explained, but she stopped once she heard something wet fall to the floor. Ruby had also taken her hand off the blonde's shoulder and had taken a step back. Yang looked up to see the redhead look at her with a tearful expression on her face.

''I... I didn't know. I didn't know that I hurt you so badly,'' Ruby said with a sad voice as she took a couple more steps back. She looked down and continued to shed tears. ''Oh God. I'm so sorry, Yang. I can't believe that I messed up your life that badly. I don't know how you're able to stand the sight of me, since I hurt you so much. I-I don't know how I can ever fix this. I-I'll do anything, Yang! Just name it. Anything to ease your pain and hatred towards me.''

Yang had not expected Ruby's reaction and she certainly didn't mean to make it sound like she blamed the younger girl for what happened to her. Sure, she was sad that she had lost a good chunk of her time as a child, but she would never blame Ruby for it or even do things differently, if given the chance. The blonde got up from her chair and quickly ran up to the redhead to give her a big, strong hug.

''Oh, Ruby! Shhh! I didn't mean it like that! I don't blame you for anything nor do I hate you! I would never do either of those things!'' Yang said as she hugged the sad girl tightly and started to rock her back and forth.

''B-But your childhood... I ruined it,'' Ruby said through her tears.

''It wasn't ruined. It might not be as good as it should have been, but it certainly wasn't ruined,'' Yang said in an attempt at comforting the younger girl. ''Besides, even if someone were to magically give me a chance to do things differently, I wouldn't do it.''

Ruby looked up at her stepsister in confusion. ''But why?''

Yang smiled at the redhead. ''Because there is one thing in this whole world that is more dear to me than my childhood, my hair or anything else. And I'm currently holding it in my arms right now.''

''R-Really?'' the younger girl asked with her eyes wide.

''Really,'' the blonde answered as she gently wiped the tears off Ruby's face. The two of them stayed like that for a couple of minutes, hugging each other and offering comfort. They eventually broke apart, even though Yang somewhat wanted to stay like that for a lot longer.

''Thanks, Yang,'' Ruby said as she rubbed the corners of her eyes in an attempt at cleaning the rest of her tears. ''Do you want me to give you some privacy? I can leave, if you want.''

Yang suddenly had an idea. ''Actually, could you stay and join me? I think this would be a lot more fun with someone else.''

''Sure! I was actually interested in your hobby, since you seemed to be having so much fun!'' Ruby exclaimed happily. ''But are you sure that you want me to join you?''

''Of course! Who else would be better to join me than my childhood best buddy?''

Ruby gasped out of joy. ''Really? I'm your childhood best buddy?''

''Absolutely! I mean, I had a lot of friends growing up, but none of them were as good as you! You are the best friend I could hope for and a lot more at the same time!'' Yang said with a wink.

The redhead happily joined the older girl in her hobby. The two of them sat at the desk and played together to their heart's content. Both of them had the biggest smiles possible on their faces as they laughed and had fun. Out of the two of them, Yang was enjoying their time the most. Not only was she able to let someone know of her secret, she gained someone that she could fully share her hobby with. Not only that, but Yang could feel how her love for Ruby started to burn even hotter than before.

* * *

Ruby was happily skipping towards her team's dorm. In the last couple of days, she had discovered new sides to her teammates and could feel how she had grown closer to each one of them. This made her incredibly happy, as it made her feel like she was succeeding not only as a leader, but as a friend, too.

She finally made her way to the door of her team's dorm. What awaited her was a sight she had seen a lot of lately, for some reason. Her teammates arguing with each other.

''You two dolts wouldn't believe how close I've gotten with her!'' Weiss exclaimed. ''We are now connected on a mutual level that neither one of you could understand!''

''Oh, please! Like that's possible for an ice queen like you!'' Blake stated, making the heiress turn red from anger. ''I, on the other hand, have made such a deep and emotional connection with her that our souls are practically tied together!''

''As if, kitty cat! The only things you can connect that deeply with are your books!'' Yang yelled, causing Blake to growl. ''If you guys knew even a bit of how much we connected, you would weep! We are tied together from heart and soul, and you two can suck it!''

 _'I suppose I should go to the library to wait for this things to calm down,'_ Ruby thought to herself as she closed the door and started to head towards the library. _'Even though I've connected with all of them a lot more, I still can't understand why they've been fighting so much lately. Also, who was that person they were talking about?'_

Ruby tried to figure out who her teammates were talking about, only to end up shrugging and giving up on it. If only she knew...

* * *

 **Author's notes: I don't know about you guys, but the thought of Yang playing with toys like a child is just freaking adorable in my opinion. So is Blake curled up in a cardboard box with cat toys while mewing and purring.**

 **I had a lot of fun making this chapter so I hope you guys had fun reading it. It's not exactly humorous like the other chapters, but more on the cute and fluffy side. I still hope you guys had a good time reading it and I'm very excited in hearing what you guys think about it. I just couldn't resist the urge of writing it and making it part of this story.**

 **Also, a little fun fact. The TV series, Bottom, that Weiss mentions is an actual British comedy series that has three seasons, five live shows and a movie. It's one of my favorite comedy shows and I recommend to check it out. At least the TV series and first three live shows. They were really good. Although, the part in the story that was supposed to be from one of the shows isn't in any of them. I couldn't think of anything that I could have taken from them for this story, so I used a joke from one of the Zero Punctuation videos.**

 **Until next time!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	8. Winter In Beacon

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 8: Winter In Beacon**

Even after launching an attack on the Ruby fan club, there were still a lot of brave individuals who dared to try and steal the young team leader from the three older girls of team RWBY. The fan club itself was still active. They were forced to hide themselves from the WBY in order to operate, and held their meetings in absolute secret. The club members had even formed sort of an alliance with each other to fight against Ruby's teammates.

However, none of this caused any fear in Weiss, Blake or Yang. The three of them were ready to face entire armies, if it meant keeping ''the unworthy ones'' away from Ruby. They had come to an agreement that if someone were to claim the heart of their team leader, it would be one of them. Anyone else would be crushed quickly and efficiently by their combined efforts.

The trio of girls had even formed several different strategies to combat anyone stupid enough to approach Ruby with the intention of wooing the younger girl. One of these was the ''distract, grab and destroy'' strategy. When someone came too close to Ruby, one of the WBY would first distract Ruby, a second one would grab their enemy and bring her to the third girl, who then provided the destroying.

Let's have a look at this, shall we?

Ruby was walking through the halls of Beacon, when she heard some girl calling for her. She stopped to see what this person wanted from her and turned towards the girl. This was noticed by a certain trio of girls, who didn't like what they were seeing. They immediately set their plan into motion.

''Ruby, can I talk to you?'' Weiss called out to the younger girl, grabbing her attention and providing the distraction. The unknown girl frowned at the interruption and was unaware of the danger she was currently in.

With Ruby's attention focused on Weiss, Blake managed to sneak behind the WBY's enemy and take hold of her. The cat faunus covered the girl's mouth with one had, while wrapping her other arm around her victim's body, thus silencing and holding the girl in place. This was the grabbing part of the strategy.

Now that Blake had a hold on the girl, she would then proceed to drag her behind a corner, where Yang was waiting. The blonde would provide the last part of the strategy, destroying. The trio's enemy would later be found beaten to a pulp in some dumpster, closet or any other place they had decided to dump her.

With such teamwork, the WBY had practically ensured that their beloved team leader wouldn't fall into the hands of someone else. However, sometimes the three girls didn't work together to take down a common enemy. Sometimes only one of them would go against their opponent, no matter who it was. Such thing was about to happen in Beacon.

* * *

Winter Schnee sighed deeply as she piloted her airship towards Beacon. Her job and personal life had lately been weighing heavily on her shoulders. It was not that she hated her job. After all, she had worked long and hard to get to where she was. It was just sometimes very lonely for her. Her position in the military and background as a member of the Schnee family didn't exactly help her get friends, let alone a girlfriend. Many people were intimidated by her and were afraid of getting closer to her. It also didn't help that her workload cut down on her free time a lot. She only hoped that visiting her younger sister would cheer her up a bit.

When her airship had landed and she stepped out, Winter was not surprised to see her sister waiting for her. The younger Schnee sister also had two other girls with her, whom Winter guessed were Weiss' teammates. One of them was a raven-haired girl, while the other one was a blonde girl. The older Schnee sister wondered where their fourth teammate was, since all teams in Beacon had four members. Not to mention, it seemed like Weiss wanted to introduce her team to her.

''Hi, Winter! It's good to- I mean, I humbly welcome you to our school, dear sister,'' Weiss said and bowed to her older sister.

Winter groaned. ''Weiss, please, just talk to me like a normal person. I would like to get away from such formal speech for at least a little while in my life.''

The younger Schnee sister was surprised, but nodded with a smile on her face. ''Of course, Winter! Anyways, it is good to see you. You probably guessed that the two people here with me are my teammates, correct?''

''That much is obvious,'' Winter said with a smirk. ''Mind introducing them to me?''

Weiss nodded. ''This one here is Blake Belladonna,'' she said and pointed at said girl, who gave a simple nod. ''And the other one here is Yang Xiao Long,'' Weiss said and pointed at said blonde, who gave a small wave and had a big grin on her face.

Winter greeted the two girls politely, but couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. She had a slight hope that one of her sister's teammates would be someone she could flirt with and possibly even date. Blake and Yang seemed nice, but not her type. Years of experience of dealing with all sorts of people in the military and in the Schnee Dust Company had made Winter able to tell a lot about a person just by their outside appearances alone. She was practically able to tell a person's complete character with just a look.

Blake seemed like a calm and reasonable person, but the older Schnee sibling wanted someone with more life in them. Not to mention, judging by the twitch of the bow on her head, Blake was most likely secretly a faunus. Said people didn't exactly have a high opinion on the Schnees. Yang, on the other hand, was on the other end of the spectrum. Winter could easily tell that the blonde was a rowdy individual, who didn't exactly listen to reason often. The white-haired woman might want someone with a bit of life in them, but not too much.

''By the way, where's your fourth teammate?'' Winter asked in an attempt to get a conversation going and forgetting her disappointment. ''I thought that teams in Beacon had four members.''

''Sorry about that, but _my partner_ and team leader had to run a couple for one of our teachers,'' Weiss explained, making sure to emphasize the fact that Ruby was her partner, which caused her other teammates to growl in anger. It was the one advantage the heiress had in the WBY's fight over their youngest teammate's affection and it angered Blake and Yang to no end. As Ruby's partner, Weiss was the one who got to spend the most time with the redhead on missions and other assignments. ''Thanks to her being so reliable, a lot of the professors ask her for help in different things and she's too sweet to say no. This time it was Professor Goodwitch who asked her to get something from Professor Peach for her.''

''I see,'' Winter said with a nod. ''But did I just hear you say ''team leader''? Aren't you the team leader?''

''No, I'm not. My partner, Ruby Rose, is actually our team leader and she has proven herself fully capable of fulfilling that role.''

''What's this? Weiss Schnee complimenting someone and actually accepting them on a higher position than herself? Are you really my sister?'' Winter teased her sister with a smirk.

Weiss blushed from embarrassment, which came from her sister's comment and her two teammates snickering. ''I know that I might be a bit... overconfident in my abilities and that there may have been some problems. However, that is all in the past now, so would you please try and not tease me like that?''

''But that is my job as your big sister, Weiss. I have to do it,'' Winter said with a chuckle. ''Anyways, I do hope that I get to meet this team leader of yours. Considering how you have accepted her, she seems like an interesting person.''

''Oh, I'm certain that you will meet her soon. I personally want you to meet her,'' Weiss said with a smile. She had always admired her older sister, so she wanted her to accept the girl she loved. ''How about I show you our dorm? Although, I have to warn you that the bunk beds only look dangerous.''

''...What?'' Winter said with a confused look on her face.

''You'll see. Anyways, let's-''

Before the group could start making their way towards the dorm, a certain redhead came running towards them, while waving her arm frantically.

''Sorry I'm late!'' Ruby said as she tried to catch her breath. ''Professor Goodwitch wanted to have a small talk with me for some reason. Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting.''

The team leader's arrival made the three older girls of RWBY smile, especially Weiss. She would get the chance of introducing the girl she liked to her older sister, whom she admired.

''You didn't keep us waiting at all, Ruby. We were just about to go to the dorm, but it's good you arrived. This is my older sister, Winter. Winter, this is Ruby Rose, my team's leader and my partner,'' Weiss said, introducing the two to each other. She expected her sister to greet the younger girl, but was surprised that Winter was silent. The heiress looked at her older sister to see that she was staring at Ruby with wide eyes. ''Winter? Is something wrong?''

The older Schnee sister didn't answer her sister. She was too busy admiring the girl who had just arrived. While Blake and Yang were unsuitable for Winter's tastes, Ruby was a completely different case. The young woman was able to tell with a single glance that the girl was just what she had been looking for.

 _'Energetic enough to bring life to a relationship, but not so much that it becomes annoying. So honest and kindhearted that can be trusted with anything. Shy and timid that makes me want to just hold and comfort her. Also polite and considerate of others. To top it all off, absolutely ADORABLE!'_ Winter thought to herself as she continued to stare at the young redhead. _'I think I'm in love from first sight. JACKPOT!'_

''WINTER!?'' Weiss angrily yelled and snapped her fingers in front of her older sister's face, breaking her out of her trance. The way Winter had been just ogling her beloved team leader was downright rude and disrespectful, and it was obviously making Ruby uncomfortable. Not to mention that the heiress noticed a bit of drool on the corner of the older Schnee's mouth, which she did NOT approve of. ''Would you mind and actually greet Ruby!?''

''Oh! I'm sorry, I was lost in thought,'' Winter quickly apologized and offered her hand to Ruby. ''I'm Winter Schnee, Weiss' older sister.''

The redhead smiled and took the older Schnee's hand and shook it. ''Ruby Rose, leader of team RWBY and Weiss' partner.''

Without her even noticing it herself, Winter started to smile widely. Simply holding Ruby's hand was addictive to her. The young team leader's hand was unbelievably warm and soft. The older Schnee sister wanted to keep holding Ruby's hand for as long as possible, but her very irritated younger sister decided to ruin her fun. Weiss cleared her throat loudly, getting the attention of both her team leader and her sister. The younger Schnee sister looked very displeased at the interaction between Ruby and Winter, as did Blake and Yang.

''Now that you two have been introduced to each other, how about we show you our dorm?'' Weiss asked with her anger barely hidden.

''Sounds lovely. Lead the way,'' Winter replied and did something that angered the three older girls of team RWBY. She wrapped her arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulled her closer.

Blake and Yang almost screamed from rage, but Weiss dragged them along towards the team's dorm. The three older girls of the team were leading the way, while Winter and Ruby followed. The older Schnee held her arm around the young team leader, who was blushing from the contact. Blake and Yang kept sending heated glares at Winter, who was talking with a stuttering Ruby. However, Weiss didn't even glance at her older sister as they were walking.

''Weiss, what the hell is wrong with your sister!?'' Yang whispered angrily to the heiress. ''Why is she molesting our Ruby!?''

''I don't know,'' Weiss answered. ''The only thing I do know is that I don't like it.''

''Then why aren't we doing anything!?'' Blake whispered. ''We should just go and show her who Ruby belongs to! Otherwise, she'll take her away!''

''Don't you think I don't know that!?'' Weiss whispered back with as much anger as was possible, shocking her two teammates. ''I know she needs to be put in her place, but if we do it together, it won't matter! She needs to be taken down hard by only one of us!''

''And why the hell is that!? Why only one of us-!?'' Yang began, but was silenced by a glare from Weiss. The absolute hate and rage that were burning behind the heiress' eyes terrified her two teammates.

''Because then she'll know how stupid it is to challenge us, when only one of us can take her down!'' Weiss answered. ''Besides, she is my sister, so I should be the one to put her in place. I will personally beat her smug ass to the ground!''

* * *

The day continued in a similar fashion, as the three older girls of team RWBY showed Winter around Beacon. The older Schnee stayed close to Ruby the entire time, chatting and flirting with the girl, who was blushing red like her cloak. Weiss, Blake and Yang kept sending angry glares at Winter, who either didn't notice or didn't care.

Eventually, Weiss and Winter were left alone, as the two sisters decided to spar against each other. The older sister did want to see how strong her younger sister had grown, after all. However, she was a bit saddened by the fact that Ruby wouldn't be watching, as she was practically carried away by Blake and Yang, who each held one of Ruby's arms. Winter did manage to blow a kiss to the redhead and promised that they would get a chance to talk with each other soon. Unknown to her, Weiss silently promised that she wouldn't get that chance.

''It's been a while since we've done this, hasn't it?'' Winter asked. ''I'm interested to see how much you have improved, Weiss.''

''Oh, sure!'' Weiss replied. She was suddenly starting to have doubts. _'Can I really do this? I mean, I didn't like how she was all over Ruby, but she's still my sister! I can't just-'_

''By the way, Weiss, what type of food does Ruby prefer?'' Winter asked, interrupting the younger Schnee's thoughts.

''...Excuse me?''

''I was thinking about taking your team leader out to lunch with me. With the right type of food, I thought I could make it easier to win her over, you know?'' the older Schnee said with a wink. ''She's exactly what I've been looking for in a girl, after all.''

''How about I tell you after our match?'' Weiss said as her doubts vanished and were replaced with boiling rage.

''Fair enough,'' Winter said with a nod and summoned a big, white Beowolf. ''Now, how about we-?''

Winter's sentence was cut off as Weiss suddenly summoned a giant knight that was completely white and was holding a gigantic sword in it's right hand. The knight was so large and terrifying it made Winter's Beowolf look like an adorable puppy. Within seconds, Weiss used her summoned knight to cut the Beowolf in half with it's sword, before using it's other hand to punch Winter, sending the young woman flying. The older Schnee sister hit the ground hard and tried to get up. However, she was held on the ground by something on her chest and she then felt something sharp being held close to her throat.

The sight before Winter's eyes was something that brought back an emotion she had not felt in a long time. That feeling was fear. Weiss was holding Winter on the ground with one foot on her chest and the younger Schnee was also pointing her rapier at her older sister's throat. The giant knight was still there, looming over both ladies, but it paled in comparison to Weiss. The look on Winter's younger sister's face was the most terrifying thing Winter had seen in a long time.

''Now listen here, Winter,'' Weiss began. ''I'm going to say this only once, so you better pay attention. Go chase after girls as much as you want, wherever you want. I don't care. However, Ruby Rose belongs to me and me alone! Go find someone else for yourself, because that girl is taken! And if you ever even think about going after Ruby again, just know that I will always make you pay for it!''

Winter gulped. She had been taken completely by surprise and was now completely at Weiss' mercy. She needed to be careful with her words, otherwise she would be in for a world of pain. The older Schnee was about to open her mouth, when her scroll started ringing. She took it out of her pocket and answered it. Weiss watched with curiosity as her sister had a quick conversation on the phone with someone. Winter finished the call and all the fear she had felt was washed away and replaced with frustration.

''It was General Ironwood,'' the older sister said. ''He needs me for something.''

* * *

Team RWBY was giving their goodbyes to Winter, as she was getting ready to leave. While the older girls of team RWBY didn't want the young woman anywhere near their beloved team leader, Ruby had been determined to see Winter before she left.

''It's a shame that I have to leave so soon,'' Winter said in a sad tone. ''This is one of the downsides of my job. I might get called to work at any time.''

''It really sucks that you have to leave already. You're such a cool person and I wanted to get to know you more,'' Ruby said in an equally sad tone, causing Winter to smile. She also unknowingly caused her teammates to wince.

''Is she going to leave or is she going to stay? I want her out of here!'' Yang whispered to Weiss and Blake angrily.

''Patience, Yang. She will leave soon,'' Weiss replied to the blonde, equally angry at the older Schnee.

''Oh, that is so nice of you, Ruby,'' Winter said in a happy tone before leaning closer towards Ruby. ''I'll make sure to come visit you as soon as possible. Then we can get to know each other _much_ better. I promise that.''

The older one of the Schnee sisters then did something that was completely unexpected to the members of team RWBY and completely unacceptable to the older girls of the team. Winter gave a quick kiss on Ruby's cheek, before turning around and entering her airship. She gave one last wave and a wink to the young redhead as she closed the door.

The young team leader could only stand still, wave slowly back and stare dumbly with wide eyes at the leaving woman. She touched the spot Winter had kissed and could feel heat rising to her cheeks as she blushed furiously.

Meanwhile, the three older girls of team RWBY were also red. Red from fury. Blake and Yang turned to look at Weiss, who was shaking from rage.

''I thought you were supposed to have put her in her place!'' Yang yelled angrily at Weiss.

''I know! I know! Guess we need to do a bit more,'' the heiress said as she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. She then noticed a certain rabbit faunus taking pictures with a camera, which gave her an idea.

* * *

Winter was happily humming to herself as she piloted her airship. All in all, her visit to Beacon had gone well. Sure, she did get beaten to the ground by Weiss, which was luckily not witnessed by anybody. If word got out that she had been defeated by her younger sister, she would become an object of ridicule in the Atlas military and it could even possibly affect her career negatively. However, all of that was a small matter to Winter as she had finally found something she had been looking for. She had found someone she could pursue romantically and have a great relationship with in Ruby. That alone was enough to make almost all of her problems seem insignificant.

''Now all I need is a good excuse to stay in Beacon for a long time,'' Winter mumbled to herself as she was planning on how to win over the heart of Ruby Rose. ''Wonder what kind of an excuse I could use? Maybe I should say that I felt the need to sharpen my skills by enrolling into Beacon? Or maybe-''

Winter's planning was interrupted by her scroll ringing again. The young woman let out a frustrated sigh as she thought that it was most likely Ironwood calling her again. She pulled out her scroll and saw that it was a message from Weiss. Surprised by this, she opened it up and her eyes immediately widened from shock. The message had a picture in it, which showed the three older girls glaring at the camera with their weapons drawn out. Beneath the picture was a text that said, ''NEVER COME BACK.''

''...Maybe I should bring one of our latest battle armors with me, next time I go visit Beacon.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: And another chapter is done! I'm going to most likely do two more chapters to this story, before going back to Dragon Unleashed. I feel like I've ignored that story a bit too much.**

 **Also, Winter will be back and going after Ruby. She won't let a small setback like this defeat her.**

 **Until next time, folks!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	9. A Witch And Her Student

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 9: A Witch And Her Student**

Team RWBY was sitting in class, listening to Professor Goodwitch's lecture about the proper use of Aura. Ruby was seated between Weiss and Yang, with the heiress to her right and the blonde to her left. Blake was sitting next to Weiss and was sulking, since she didn't get to sit next to her beloved team leader. Since the three older girls of team RWBY couldn't all sit next to Ruby, they decided who got the seats by a game of rock-paper-scissors. The winner got to decide which seat next to their team leader she would get, while the second place took the seat that was left and the loser had to make due with sitting next to one of her rivals.

Ruby was currently trying her best to concentrate on the lecture, but it was difficult because of one of her teammates. The three older girls of the team were competing for Ruby's affections even during classes, each with their own methods. While Weiss tried to win her team leader's love by helping her take notes, Yang had a more ''direct'' approach. The blonde would let her hands ''accidentally'' wander over to Ruby, either laying on her thighs or going over her shoulders. Yang would also whisper suggestive things to the younger girl and lean on her. All of this not only caused Ruby to blush a lot, but it also made it almost impossible for her to focus on classes. The redhead swore that if it wasn't for Weiss or Blake helping with her studies, she would fail her classes.

Weiss didn't like Yang's flirting at all. Not only because the heiress thought that Ruby belonged to her and her only, but also because she was someone that appreciated academic work a lot. Seeing her beloved Ruby, who was at the top of their classes, having difficulties with her studies due to the blonde's inappropriate behavior was something that angered Weiss to no end. She had tried to stop Yang's advances by swatting at her hands or by simply telling her to stop, but it only served to inspire the blonde to try harder in her attempt at wooing Ruby. The heiress had tried to get Blake to help her, but the cat faunus was a sore loser and ignored Weiss' pleas. The white-haired girl would have gotten their teacher to help, if it wasn't for the fact that they had agreed not to involve the teachers in their fight for Ruby's love.

After what felt like an eternity to Weiss, the class ended. The heiress put her stuff away as quickly as she could so that she would get her chance to ask Ruby to hang out with her in private. However, before she had the chance to ask anything from Ruby, Yang had already pulled the younger girl against herself in an one-armed hug.

''Hey, Rubes, wanna go back to the dorm and play some games?'' Yang asked the younger girl she was hugging. ''We could go a couple of rounds in Tekken or raid dungeons in Diablo.''

''Actually, Yang, I think Ruby would prefer to go over our notes for the day with me,'' Weiss said as she pulled Ruby out of Yang's grasp and against herself. ''As a student that actually studies, I'm certain that she would like to use her time efficiently, unlike you.''

''I think you both have bothered Ruby enough already,'' Blake said and took the beloved team leader from the heiress. ''She is already exhausted because of you two. What she needs now is a good relaxing moment of reading books in the library. With me, of course.''

Ruby was once again caught in the middle of an argument between her teammates, as she was getting tugged between the three older girls. The young team leader was honestly confused by her teammates' actions, as she was unaware of their reasons for fighting. All she knew was that lately her teammates had started fighting between each other a lot and for some reason she was at the center of it often. The redhead had tried to figure out why this kept happening, but was unable to find any answers.

The argument between the three older girls of RWBY was stopped by someone clearing their throat. The four girls looked up to see Professor Glynda Goodwitch standing there and looking at them.

''I would like to have a word with Ms. Rose,'' the blonde woman said.

''I-Is something wrong, Professor?'' Ruby asked in a fearful tone. ''Have I done something?''

''Oh, nothing like that! There's no need to worry!'' Glynda replied. ''I just have something important that I need to discuss with you, that's all.''

''Can we stay?'' Weiss asked. ''Ruby is our team leader, after all.''

''Actually, I want to discuss this in private. So if you wouldn't mind, I'd like that the three of you left,'' the professor said while looking at the older girls of the team.

''Hang on a second! We can't just-'' Yang began, but was cut off by Glynda's words and glare.

''Now,'' the blonde woman said in a tone that left no room for arguing. The three girls still seemed uneasy with leaving their beloved team leader behind, but said girl decided to step in and convince her teammates to obey their teacher's orders.

''Guys, I'll be fine. You go ahead and wait in the dorm, I'll catch up soon, okay?'' Ruby said to her teammates, who nodded and did as they were told. They calmly and silently left the room, leaving their leader alone with their teacher. Once the WBY was outside the classroom, their calm and silent appearance was broken and they began to question Glynda's behavior.

''What the hell was that!?'' Yang yelled at her teammates. The blonde had never really liked Glynda, but this was something she had not expected the teacher to do. ''Why does Goodwitch need to talk to Ruby all alone!?''

''Yang, calm down,'' Weiss said, but hints of doubt and concern could be heard in her voice. ''We are simply overreacting to this. Professor Goodwitch is a teacher, after all, and wouldn't do anything inappropriate to Ruby. She probably just needs her for something again.''

''How the hell can you say that!?'' Yang ranted. ''Don't you remember how we didn't expect Winter to be a threat to us!? Besides, isn't it strange that she has been asking Ruby's help a lot lately!? She even often has Ruby help her in her office with just the two of them! How do we know that she's not putting the moves on my Ruby!?''

''Because she is a teacher, Yang! If she were to ''put the moves'' on her, it would endanger her job! Also, do you need to remind me of Winter!? Just the thought of her is enough to make me angry! And Ruby is mine!'' Weiss answered angrily, before looking down in thought. ''But you do raise some good points...''

Blake had remained silent the entire time, but decided to finally speak up, ''I'll stay back and try to listen to their conversation. You two go ahead to the dorm and wait there, while I'll deal with this.''

Both Yang and Weiss looked at their faunus teammate in surprise. ''Blake, are you sure? Shouldn't we all stay behind, since we're dealing with a teacher?'' Weiss asked in a concerned tone. Blake might be her rival in love, but she was still a teammate and a friend.

''Yeah, if Glynda turns out to be trouble, shouldn't we combine our strengths to take her on?'' Yang asked equally concerned for her partner.

''It's because we are dealing with a teacher that I think I should go on my own. My faunus senses will prove useful when I'm listening on their conversation. Also, my skills in stealth will be better suited for dealing with Goodwitch, if she is actually a threat. Since she is a teacher, we could get into a lot of trouble, if we were to attack her directly. This requires secrecy and discretion,'' Blake explained, before turning around and walking back to the classroom. The faunus also added one thing in a voice that sent chills down her teammates' spines, ''No need to worry. If that teacher dares to get too close to Ruby, I'll show her just how dangerous a former White Fang member can really be.''

* * *

Back in the classroom, Ruby was standing before Glynda, waiting for the blonde teacher to start speaking. The redhead was nervous. Even though Goodwitch had told her that she wasn't in any trouble, it was still making her uncomfortable to stand in silence in front of the teacher all alone. Ruby considered Glynda to be a very intimidating person and could only hope that the thing she wanted to discuss with her wasn't anything bad.

''U-Um... Professor G-Goodwitch? What did you need to talk about with me?'' Ruby asked nervously.

''Please sit down, Ruby,'' Glynda said. After her student had sat down, she sat down next to her and looked at her straight in the eyes. ''First of all, I would like you to call me Glynda, when we are alone.''

''Alright, Professor Good- I mean, Glynda,'' Ruby slipped up, which caused said woman to giggle a bit. This in turn caused Ruby to relax a little. ''What did you need to talk about with me?''

Glynda took a deep breath, before speaking, ''I need you to do something first. I want you to not think of me as your teacher, as we have this conversation. I want you to think of me as practically any other person and tell me exactly what you think. I don't want my position to weigh on your answers.''

''I'll try.''

''Good,'' the blonde woman said and took another deep breath. ''What kind of a person do you think I am?''

''E-Excuse me?'' Ruby asked. She was utterly confused by her teacher's sudden question.

''What type of a person do you think I am? Am I kind, mean, good, evil or what?''

The young team leader looked down in thought. ''Well, I can't help but think that you're kind of an intimidating and scary person,'' Ruby replied, which caused the blonde woman to wince. ''But sometimes I feel that it's not all there is to you. Like it's some kind of an act that you're putting up and that you're very different actually. If that's true, I kind of want to see this other side of you.''

Glynda nodded as a small smile came to her face. ''Yes, that is very true. Since I am a teacher at Beacon, I have to put up an act in front of everybody, so that my teachings are taken seriously. You are a very observant person, Ruby.''

Ruby smiled and blushed a little at her teacher's compliment. She was also more relaxed now, since she knew that Glynda wasn't simply strict business only.

''The second thing that I want to know is that do you believe those rumors about me and Ozpin? The ones about me and him being a couple?'' Goodwitch asked.

The redhead held her chin in thought and shook her head a bit. ''No. I don't see anything like that between the two of you. Sure, I might be young, but you two just don't seem like you're that close to each other. You're close in a friendly way, not in a romantic way.''

Glynda nodded and her smile widened. ''Good there is still one thing I need to know,'' she said, before looking down at her lap and blushing a bit from embarrassment. ''H-How old do you think I am?''

Ruby thought about this question a bit. ''Honestly, you don't seem all that old. While I have heard that a lot of students think you're really old, I personally don't think so. I think you're in your early 20's at best.''

This answer caused Goodwitch to smile as widely as possible and to pull her student into a tight hug and place her on her lap. The young girl let out a yelp of surprise from the sudden show of affection.

''Yes. Yes! YES! That is exactly true! You have no idea how much your answers mean to me! I have all these damn rumors circling around me just because of my position! I have to act all strict because of my job, but that's not all that there is to me! I work close to Ozpin, but we're really just colleagues and friends, not a couple! And the thing I hate the most is that people think I'm old enough to be a grandmother! I'm actually very young and nowhere near the age people think I am!'' Glynda said happily and stood up with Ruby still in her arms. The teacher spun around a bit in happiness, making the young girl giggle. She then sat down with her arms still around her student and held her on her lap. She stared Ruby right into her eyes. ''Oh, Ruby. You are not only my best student, but my favorite student, as well.''

''R-Really? Thank you,'' the young team leader said in a shy voice. ''But why did you need me to answer all these questions?''

''Because, Ruby, I needed to know these things about you,'' Glynda answered. ''I am happy to see that you are exactly what I thought you were and I want to get to know more about you. How about we go to the city tomorrow, just the two of us? I know this nice restaurant where we can talk more in private.''

Ruby was surprised by Goodwitch's proposition, but nodded enthusiastically. ''Sure! Where do we meet, before leaving?''

''How about we leave right after my class? It's the last lesson tomorrow. You don't need to bring anything but yourself,'' Glynda suggested to which her student agreed. The two of them then started to slowly make their way to their rooms.

Unknown to the two of them, their conversation had been listened to by a certain cat faunus, who didn't like what she just heard. It seemed that she needed to pay her teacher a little visit.

* * *

Later that night, Glynda was standing in front of a full-body mirror in her room. She was contemplating on how to look for her little trip to Vale with Ruby tomorrow. Or as she liked to call it her ''date''.

''Wonder if I should put on contact lenses? Or maybe I should keep the glasses, as they make me look more dignified and intelligent? Also, should I wear my hair in a bun or let it flow freely?'' the blonde woman mumbled to herself as she kept checking herself out from the mirror.

Glynda was so focused on her own image in the mirror that she didn't notice someone sneaking into her room through the window. The intruder sneaked behind the teacher without making a sound. She then clamped her hand tightly over Goodwitch's mouth and placed a knife at the woman's throat. While the blonde woman might have been a very strong Huntress, almost every warrior would be at their enemy's mercy when caught off-guard.

''Don't make any sounds or movements without my permission. Understood?'' the intruder whispered and Glynda recognized the voice as Blake Belladonna's. The teacher could only slightly nod her head to let the cat faunus know that she was obeying her commands. ''You will cancel your little date with Ruby tomorrow. And if you ever even dare to try and get close to her again, I will make sure that you will beg for mercy. Is that clear?''

As soon as the blonde woman nodded, Blake let her go. She fell on her hands and knees and turned around to see her attacker. However, the only thing she saw was her open window, which the cat faunus had used to escape. Glynda fell asleep crying that night, due to the fact that her dream of a date with Ruby had just been destroyed.

* * *

The next day, Ruby was practically bouncing in her seat during Goodwitch's class. She was very excited about going to Vale with the teacher, as she was very interested to see the new side of the woman she had seen yesterday and wanted to find more about her. The redhead's teammates were stoic and silent through the whole lesson, only staring at their teacher coldly and emotionlessly. Glynda herself felt her heart ache, as she knew what she needed to do. She wanted to go against Blake's threat and take Ruby out on a date, but the stares she was receiving from the three older girls of team RWBY reminded her of last night's ''visit''.

The class finally ended and Ruby almost ran to her teacher. ''Professor Goodwitch, are we good to go on our little trip to Vale?'' she asked excitedly.

Glynda winced at the girl's happy tone. She hated having to disappoint her student. ''Actually, Ruby, I don't think that we're going to Vale today.''

Ruby's face fell a bit. ''Oh, I see. Well, how about another day? Maybe during the weekend?''

It took all of the blonde woman's willpower not to break down and start crying. ''I'm sorry, but I don't think that we'll be going on any trip to Vale. It's unfortunately never going to happen.''

''W-What do you mean?'' the young team leader asked while tearing up a bit.

''I mean that I've decided not to get any closer with you. We shall remain as only teacher and student, like we have until now,'' Glynda replied without looking at Ruby. She knew that if she saw the redhead's face, her resolve would break immediately.

''I... I understand,'' Ruby said while trying her best to hold back her tears. ''I'm sorry to have bothered you.''

Before the teacher could correct her student on her last words, the redhead had already disappeared, leaving behind only a couple of rose petals. Glynda watched the petals fall to the floor with tears in her eyes, as Ruby's teammates were leaving the room with smirks on their faces. As soon as the last of her students had left, Glynda Goodwitch broke down and cried.

* * *

The three older girls of team RWBY were happily skipping towards their dorm. They knew that Ruby was most likely bummed out with what happened, but the trio of girls was sure that they could cheer up their beloved team leader. They eventually arrived at their dorm and were not surprised to see Ruby curled up on her bed.

''Hey, Rubes, you alright?'' Yang asked gently.

''We saw that something happened between you and Professor Goodwitch. Is everything okay?'' Blake asked while feigning ignorance.

''Why don't we all go out to Vale to watch a movie or something? Let's just have fun as a team!'' Weiss suggested to her partner cheerfully.

''I'm sorry, guys, but I'm not in the mood,'' Ruby answered in a quiet and sad tone, without looking at her teammates.

The three older girls looked at each other in shock. They knew that Ruby would be sad, but not this sad!

''Come on, Ruby! It'll be fun!'' Yang said.

''No.''

''Ruby, please! You can't let this keep you down!'' Blake said.

''No!''

''All expenses are on me, Ruby! You have to come!'' Weiss said.

The young team leader finally had enough. She turned to glare at her teammates with eyes full of anger and sadness, along with tears flowing down from them, and yelled, ''NO MEANS NO! WHAT IS SO DAMN HARD TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT WORD!? ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID OR JUST GODDAMN HARDHEADED!?''

Ruby's teammates stared at the younger girl in absolute shock. Never before had any of them seen the redhead like this. Not only was she angry and full of rage, but also sad and broken.

''R-Ruby... We-'' Blake began, but was quickly cut off by her team leader.

''Get out,'' Ruby said in a cold tone while pointing at the door. Her teammates were shocked again. They couldn't believe that the younger girl really meant what she said. ''GET OUT!''

Using her semblance, Ruby managed to throw the three older girls out of their dorm and slam the door behind them. As the three girls were slowly and shakily getting up, they could hear their beloved team leader break down and cry her heart out. The sound of Ruby's sadness broke the trio's hearts.

''I-I made her sad... I made her cry,'' Blake silently said to herself. ''Oh God, what have I done?''

Weiss put her hand on the faunus' shoulder. ''It's alright, Blake. You did what you had to do. Remember why we are doing things like this. Yang and I would have done the same,'' the heiress said while trying to hold her own tears.

Yang got up and turned to address her two teammates. ''Guys, I don't know what you are going to do, but I'm going to Junior's club and getting drunk. You're free to join me, if you want to,'' the blonde said as tears fell down her face.

Weiss and Blake nodded and left with Yang to drink their sorrows away. That night all the members of team RWBY cried themselves to sleep. Ruby because of having her heart broken, and the other three girls because they were the ones who essentially broke the younger girl's heart. Although they would have done the same thing no matter what, the WBY learned something very valuable from this experience.

Their actions didn't only hurt their enemies, but Ruby, as well.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Ummm... This went to places I didn't fully expect... I kind of let my instincts take over as I wrote this. At least in the ending. Glynda will be back, though. Just like Winter.  
**

 **...Hope you still liked it?**

 **The next chapter will be funnier! I swear!**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	10. Cinder's Fall

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 10: Cinder's Fall**

It had been a couple of days since the whole incident between Ruby and Glynda. Things had not gotten all that better with team RWBY, as there were still tensions between the young team leader and her teammates. Ruby had practically stopped communicating with her teammates and was avoiding them as much as possible. This obviously had a negative effect on her love-struck teammates, who were practically heartbroken by this. The three older girls had tried to reconnect with their beloved team leader, but always backed off. They were being held back by the guilt they were feeling from the whole Goodwitch incident.

But it wasn't only the WBY that were feeling bad about how things had turned out. Ruby herself was feeling guilty about blowing up at her teammates. Since she didn't know her teammates' involvement on what happened with Glynda, she assumed that the three older girls had tried to simply cheer her up and she had lashed out at them for no reason. The redhead felt like she had failed as a teammate and a friend and couldn't even look at her friends in the eyes. This lead to her avoiding her teammates and spending a lot of time alone and away from her dorm.

However, it was thanks to her spending so much time alone and out of her dorm that she managed to find something that helped ease the pain she was feeling. Or rather, that something found her. Thanks to this, Ruby had been feeling a lot better, even if the feeling of guilt was gnawing at the back of her head.

Ruby was walking down the halls of Beacon, deep in thought. She was wondering how she could properly apologize to her teammates. The redhead thought it was practically unforgivable for her to lash out at her friends like that, when they were only trying to help her. She wasn't sure if a simple apology would be enough.

The young team leader was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone walking up behind her. Once said person was behind Ruby, they covered her eyes with one hand while wrapping their other arm around her body in a tight but gentle embrace.

''Guess who, little red,'' a husky female voice whispered into Ruby's ear, causing her to smile and forget her worries.

* * *

Yang was pacing back and forth in her dorm. She was trying to figure out what to do with the whole mess she and her two teammates had caused with Ruby. The blonde was currently all alone in the room. Ruby had gone on a walk, Weiss had a meeting with her family and Blake had went to Vale to get a book that she had been waiting for. Both of Yang's rivals would be gone for a long while, since Weiss' family meetings were long and Blake would be stuck in line for almost the entire day. This would have been a perfect opportunity for the brawler to make a move in getting closer to her beloved Ruby, but it wasn't easy for her. While she herself didn't cause the whole incident between Ruby and Glynda, she had been supportive of it. This made her feel guilty of causing the redhead heartbreak and pain, something she considered unforgivable. She needed to find a way to make things right or she would go crazy.

As the blonde kept pondering her dilemma, Ruby entered the room. The redhead was humming happily to herself and didn't notice her blonde teammate. Yang was glad to see her beloved team leader so happy, but couldn't help being confused by this. She thought that the younger girl would still be depressed over what happened with Glynda.

Ruby finally noticed Yang and immediately looked down, almost like she was ashamed of something. The two girls stood in awkward silence for a moment, as Ruby stared down at the floor and Yang stared at the girl in front of her.

The blonde couldn't take the silence anymore and decided to speak up, ''Ruby, I'm-''

''I'm sorry,'' Ruby suddenly and silently said, cutting off Yang.

''W-What?'' the brawler asked, not believing what she just heard.

''I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you guys the way I did. You were only trying to help me and I pretty much spat on your face. As the leader of our team, it was unacceptable and I can only hope that you guys can forgive me,'' Ruby explained while looking down with tears in her eyes.

Yang could feel her heart sink at the sight in front of her. She and her other two teammates were responsible for the heartbreak Ruby had gone through and yet the younger girl was worried about them? The blonde did the only thing she could and ran up to the redhead to pull her into a tight embrace.

''Oh, Ruby! There's nothing for you to apologize for! We didn't consider what you were going through and should have offered you comfort or some time alone. It's us who need to apologize to you,'' Yang told the younger girl in an attempt at comforting her. _'Besides, we're the reason you went through that whole thing anyway.'_

''Thanks, Yang,'' Ruby said quietly and returned the hug. The two girls stood like that for a while, offering each other comfort, before finally breaking apart.

''By the way, I noticed you were rather happy when you came in. Something up, Rubes?'' Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.

The young team leader smiled and blushed a little. ''Oh, I have some wonderful news, Yang! I kind of wanted to tell them to not only you, but Weiss and Blake, too.''

The brawler smiled and shook her head slightly. ''That's not a problem, Ruby. You can tell them later. They'll be away for quite a while, anyway,'' Yang said and thought to herself, _'Hope those wonderful news have something to do with me!'_

''You see, I met this amazing girl a day or two ago and she's been just great! And today she actually asked me out on a date!''

Yang's good mood was gone in a second and her smile turned forced.

''Who exactly is this girl?''

* * *

Cinder could not help but smile to herself. Everything was going according to plan. Roman Torchwick and the White Fang were doing their jobs and it wouldn't be long until her plans were fully realized. And as a bonus, she might even seduce the silver-eyed girl onto her side! That was something she simply loved. One of Remnant's legendary warriors would join her in taking over the world.

The raven-haired villainess had discovered the young redhead alone in the library one day. The girl seemed to be in a rather depressed mood, which caught Cinder's interest. Out of simple curiosity, she decided to see what was bothering the redhead and if it could be used for her plans. Cinder had been surprised to see how quickly she had managed to befriend Ruby Rose and she wondered just how deep of a ''friendship'' she could build with the girl. Cinder could already imagine it. The silver-eyed girl as one of her most loyal servants, bringing death and destruction to all who opposed her. It was certainly a goal worth pursuing.

To make this goal a reality, Cinder had decided to invite Ruby on a date with her. If she managed to establish a romantic relationship with her, she was certain that making the girl her loyal pawn would be almost too easy. After all, the redhead was apparently already heartbroken and fighting with her team. She was the perfect lonely prey to be swayed under her influence and into her service.

Although, Cinder had to admit that hanging out with Ruby was pretty fun, too. Just another reason to invite her out on a date and get her to join the villainesses forces.

''Ummm... Lady Cinder?'' Emerald asked, gaining said woman's attention. ''Why have you been spending so much time with that brat lately? How could she be of any use to us?''

Cinder frowned. Not only did her servant question her actions, which was something she did NOT approve of, the green-haired girl insulted Ruby. For some reason, this angered the raven-haired woman more than having her actions questioned. She didn't know why.

''The reason I'm doing this, Emerald, is because she will be useful to us,'' Cinder said in a threatening tone. ''She has the legendary silver eyes, which are more powerful than you could believe. Having a power like that on our side is something that is worth pursuing.''

''But shouldn't we just kill her, if she's such a big threat? I could do it easily,'' Emerald suggested.

Cinder's frown turned into a heated glare as she stared at her servant. ''Out of the question. I want her alive and on our side, understood? Besides, don't you remember the last time you questioned my actions? Do I need to remind you?''

Emerald visibly paled and gulped. ''N-No, Lady Cinder! There's no need for that!''

The raven-haired villainess nodded in approval and her servant turned around and walked to her own bed. On her way, Mercury snickered at her, making her turn to the gray-haired boy and glare at him.

''You shouldn't let your jealousy get the better of you,'' Mercury said while snickering. ''By the way, what did happen to you last time you questioned Lady Cinder's actions?''

Emerald looked away from her teammate. ''I'm not telling, even if it kills me.''

Mercury was going to ask again, but a sudden knock on their room's door stopped him. He looked around to see his teammates' reactions. By the looks on their faces, he assumed that they weren't expecting any visitors either. The gray-haired boy stood up and walked to the door and opened it to find Yang standing there.

''Can I help you?'' Mercury asked, unsure as to why the blonde had come to visit them.

''Yes. I am looking for Cinder. Is she here?'' Yang asked with a sweet smile on her face.

The gray-haired boy nodded and let the brawler in, closing the door behind her. All eyes were on Yang as she walked in. Cinder and her teammates were tense, especially Neo. They were wondering what their sudden visitor wanted.

The blonde walked to the middle of the room, looked around the room and asked, ''Which one of you is Cinder?''

''That would be me,'' Cinder said as she stood up and walked up to Yang. ''Do you have some business with me?''

''As a matter of fact, I do,'' Yang answered with a nod. ''I heard that you're taking Ruby out on a date tomorrow. Is that correct?''

The raven-haired woman nodded. ''That is correct. Is there a problem with that?''

''We'll get to that later. First I would like to know why you want to go out with her. In other words, what do you see in Rubes?''

Cinder held her chin in thought. ''Well, I honestly don't know any girl that is better than her. She is simply perfect. She's kind and honest. Energetic enough without being annoying. Polite and considerate of others. However, what I like best is how pure she is. She tries to see the good in everything and then defends that to the very end. She only wants what is best for everyone, not only for herself. And she even puts others before herself.''

While Cinder's teammates were certain that she was making up all those things, the villainess herself was surprised to notice how much she actually agreed with her own words. Ruby Rose was all that she claimed her to be and more. Cinder felt no hesitation in saying all those good things about the redhead and would never take back a single word.

Yang nodded. ''I agree. Ruby certainly is all that and even more. She certainly is a prize among girls and anyone would be lucky to have her.''

''So, why are you here?'' Cinder asked. ''I doubt you simply wanted me to list all the good things I see in Ruby.''

''You are correct, Cindy,'' the blonde said, making the villainess frown at the nickname. However, Cinder's frown and annoyance soon disappeared when Yang's eyes turned red. ''You were right to assume that I had a problem with you taking MY Ruby out on a date. You see, that girl belongs to me and I will crush anyone who is stupid enough to try and take her from me.''

Yang slowly cracked her knuckles as she glared at Cinder with red eyes and her hair started to glow. The other occupants in the room could only stare in fear at the enraged blonde in the middle of the room, whose aura was giving off the feeling of murder and death. Even Neo's knees were shaking from being absolutely terrified.

Cinder had experienced all sorts of things that many would consider terrifying without any fear and had done things that would leave most people scarred for life. However, for the first time in years, she was experiencing absolute terror. No Grimm or man had been as terrifying as the blonde girl in front of her. Cinder even had to admit, much to her shame, that she had just wet herself out of fear.

The next few minutes were filled with pain for Cinder and her servants.

* * *

After a few minutes, Cinder slowly woke up to feel her entire body in pain. She tried to open both of her eyes, only to find out that only her right eye would open. Her left eye had been swollen shut. The villainess tried moving her body, but she was in so much pain that she was only able to move her head. She looked around and tried to locate her servants, only to find out that they had suffered a similar fate with her.

Neo had been turned into a wall decoration, with her head smashed through it. Mercury was laying under a pile of broken wood that used to be a bed and a desk. Emerald seemed to have suffered the least amount of injuries, as she was only laying on the floor on her side. However, Cinder was certain that the pickpocket's arm was not supposed to bend the way it did.

Cinder heard someone come out of their dorm's bathroom and turned her head to the left to see who it was. She immediately felt the feeling of fear return as a familiar blonde girl walked out of it and towards her.

''Oh, you're finally awake. I used your bathroom a bit. I needed to wash your blood off me, after all,'' Yang said with a smirk.

Cinder tried to force her body to move in order to escape from the violent blonde, but was unable to even lift a finger. Her body was in too much pain to move even an inch. Yang calmly walked up to her and placed her foot on the raven-haired woman's neck and glared at her with red eyes.

''Now listen here and listen well. I want you to cancel your date with Ruby and then never even think about getting too close to her. If you do, I will make this feel like a fun time in comparison. Are we clear?'' Yang asked.

Cinder nodded, afraid of what might happen if she did otherwise. The blonde was satisfied with the response and left the room. After she had left, Emerald slowly crawled up to the raven-haired woman on the floor.

''Lady Cinder, is Ruby Rose still worth pursuing?'' the green-haired girl asked weakly, making Cinder groan.

* * *

The next day, team RWBY was walking down the halls of Beacon with Ruby in the lead. The young team leader was skipping happily while the other girls were calmly walking behind her. They were on their way to Ruby's and Cinder's meeting place for their date. The three older girls were following under the excuse that they wanted to meet Cinder personally, while in reality they wanted to make sure that she would keep her promise with Yang.

The team eventually arrived at the place and saw that Cinder and her teammates were waiting for them. Ruby was about to greet them happily, but stopped once she noticed the state they were in. Each member of Cinder's team was heavily bandaged and bruised, like they had all been mauled by Ursas. To say the least, Ruby was shocked.

''Cinder! What happened to you guys!?'' Ruby asked loudly, gaining the attention of the raven-haired woman and her teammates.

Before Cinder answered, she and her teammates looked at the three older girls of team RWBY to see them giving them the scariest death glares that they had ever seen. The four wounded secret criminals paled and felt shivers run down their backs at the sight. They needed to be careful with their words, otherwise they'd be dead.

''We ummm... We fell down some stairs,'' Cinder lied to Ruby.

''That is such a lame-'' Mercury began, but was cut off by an elbow to the ribs from Emerald.

''Shut up, before she throws you down a flight,'' the green-haired girl whispered angrily.

''That's terrible!'' Ruby said with her voice full of sympathy. ''I guess our date for today is cancelled then?''

Cinder started to sweat and she could feel her stomach twist. For some reason, this was a lot harder than she had thought at first. ''Actually, the date is not only cancelled, but I think there won't be any dates between us in the future.''

''Huh? Why? D-Did I do something?'' Ruby asked with tears in her eyes.

''No! Absolutely not! It's not your fault at all!'' Cinder quickly said. ''It's just that I realized I might have been a bit too hasty with asking you out. We're just too different, you know? I don't think a relationship between us is exactly possible.''

''I... I see,'' the redhead said quietly with tears falling from her eyes and took a couple of steps back. ''I guess I'll see you later then. Hope I didn't bother you or anything.''

Before the villainess could say anything, Ruby turned around and ran away. Her teammates soon followed after her, leaving behind Cinder and her servants.

''Well, that went well,'' Mercury said as he let out a sigh of relief.

''I agree. Did you guys see how her teammates were glaring at us? If looks could kill, we would have died over a hundred times,'' Emerald said, before turning to Cinder. ''What shall we do now, Lady Cinder?''

''...I'm sorry, but I need a moment alone. Don't follow me,'' Cinder said and left her servants without even looking at them. The three servants could only stare with wide eyes at the raven-haired woman's retreating form.

''What was that all about?'' Mercury asked his two companions.

''She must feel ashamed that she was intimidated by those three. I mean, it must be humiliating for her to be beaten like that,'' Emerald suggested while Neo simply shrugged.

* * *

The three older girls of team RWBY were on their way to their dorm. They knew that Ruby was most likely heartbroken again and they wanted to offer her comfort. While they hated causing their beloved team leader pain, they felt that it had to be done. None of the three girls was willing to let anyone take the girl they loved away from them.

''I swear, this is getting harder day by day,'' Weiss said to her two teammates. ''It pains me to do things like this to Ruby.''

''I agree. Just the thought of Ruby being sad is enough to break my heart,'' Blake added.

''Guys, could you let me do this alone?'' Yang asked the other two girls. ''I feel like I need to have a moment with just me and Ruby.''

Weiss and Blake frowned at the blonde. They immediately assumed that she was trying to get ahead of them in making Ruby hers. However, they were shocked when Yang turned to look at them with the saddest look either of them had ever seen.

''Please?'' the blonde asked in a quiet and sad tone.

Both Weiss and Blake gave a nod of approval and Yang left to find their heartbroken team leader. The two of them were left standing in the hallway, wondering what was going on with their blonde teammate.

''What was that all about?'' Weiss asked.

''I don't know, but I can't help but feel that it's best to let her have a moment alone with Ruby,'' Blake answered.

* * *

Yang made her to her team's dorm and opened the door. She wasn't surprised to see Ruby sitting in a corner, hugging her knees and crying her eyes out. The blonde walked up to the younger girl and knelt in front of her. She put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, which caused the redhead to look up at her with tearful and bloodshot eyes. The sight immediately broke Yang's heart and she pulled the younger girl in a tight embrace.

''I-I just don't understand. W-What did I do wrong?'' Ruby asked between sobs.

''Shhh. You did nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong with you. Shhh,'' Yang whispered in an effort to calm the younger girl down and she started to rock her back and forth.

As the blonde comforted Ruby, she couldn't help but let a couple of tears fall from her eyes, as well. While seeing her beloved Ruby this sad was enough to make Yang want to cry, there was also the guilt she was feeling that made her even sadder. The guilt that the blonde was feeling was made worse by the promise she made a long time ago to Ruby's dead mother, Summer Rose. Yang had promised Summer that she would look after Ruby and protect her from anything that might harm her. However, now the blonde couldn't help but feel that she was failing to keep that promise, as she herself was causing Ruby pain.

In the end, Yang had failed to keep Ruby safe from the last person that should ever cause her pain. Herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, another heartbroken person was making her way around Beacon to a more secluded place. Cinder was going to a more secluded place, where she could be alone and keep the emotions she was feeling in check. While she felt angry and ashamed at herself for allowing one little girl affect her so much, she couldn't help but feel absolutely crushed by the sadness she was feeling from having to break up with Ruby. For some reason, the young girl had claimed a large place in Cinder's heart and having to lose her like this made the raven-haired woman feel like her heart was being crushed.

The villainess eventually found a tree in the backyard of Beacon and sat behind it. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in them, before she started crying. As she wept, she kept repeating Ruby's name and apologizing to her. It was the first time in years that Cinder had cried and the first time in her entire life that she had felt such heartbreak.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry this took so long. I had a pretty rough week at work and there are just sometimes days you just don't feel like writing at all. That kind of slowed down my work on this.**

 **Also, no worries for those who want to see more of Winter, Glynda or Cinder. Those three will be back with a vengeance. These last three chapters were here to establish rivals for the WBY, who will make a comeback. It's going to take a while, though. I want to make a couple of chapters without them to make it seem like time has passed before they return to the fight for Ruby's love. Besides, I need to keep up some tension, right?**

 **By the way, I was really surprised by the amount of reviews I got from the last chapters. It was like an avalanche. I honestly did not expect that.**

 **Also, holy crap, over a hundred follows!? How did this happen!? You guys are awesome and I hope you keep reading!**

 **Anyways, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave this story for a while. I need to return to Dragon Unleashed, but I'll get back on this. That's a promise.**

 **Until next time!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	11. Cheering A Rose

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 11: Cheering A Rose**

The older girls of team RWBY were killing themselves from the guilt and sadness they were feeling. Their beloved team leader had become practically lifeless from her break-up with Cinder, and seeing the redhead the way she was now broke the WBY' hearts. They might not regret hurting those that threatened to take Ruby away from them, but they certainly regretted causing the redhead any kind of pain. They needed to fix this somehow, before it became too much for them to bear.

While Weiss was studying and Blake was reading one of her many ''adult'' books, Yang was on her scroll looking for something to cheer up Ruby with. She knew that a simple plate of cookies wouldn't be enough this time and she needed something more. Something that would let her just forget all of her worries and get her to have fun.

''Let's see. There are no good movies going on. The arcade isn't probably good enough,'' Yang mumbled to herself as she went through different possible places to take Ruby to. She eventually found one that seemed perfect, which made her smile widely. ''PERFECT!''

The blonde's sudden outburst surprised her two teammates. ''You barbarian, what are you howling there for!?'' Weiss asked angrily.

''I just found the perfect thing for us to cheer up Ruby with! Check it out!'' Yang said excitedly as she jumped off her bed. Her teammates gathered around her to see what she was talking about. ''A brand new amusement park just opened up in Vale. I'm sure if we take Rubes there, we can get her to cheer up!''

Blake nodded and smiled. ''I agree. I'm certain that Ruby would be able to just enjoy herself there. We would be able to get back our leader that we love.''

''I second that,'' Weiss said and smiled a bit as well.

''It's settled then! Once Ruby arrives, we'll ask her to come with us to the amusement park!'' Yang stated cheerfully.

As if on cue, the redheaded team leader stepped into the dorm. The young girl looked utterly depressed and sad, and you could almost imagine a dark cloud hovering over her head. Seeing her like this broke the older girls' hearts and they decided to immediately set their plan into motion.

''Ruby, we were planning on going to the new amusement park in the city on the weekend. Would you like to come with us?'' Weiss asked with a bright smile.

The team leader looked at her partner and shook her head. ''Nah. I don't feel like going. I think I'm going to stay here and study and start working on that essay for Oobleck.''

''That essay doesn't need to be done for months and you have already been studying enough!'' Blake argued. ''Please, Ruby, come with us to have fun! You'll forget all your worries!''

''I'm sorry, but I'm just not in the mood. Besides, even if I've been studying enough and I have a good amount of time for the essay, there's no harm in starting early and doing good work. You guys go without me and have fun, okay?'' Ruby replied in a sad tone.

Before either Weiss or Blake could say anything, Yang stepped up and said to the two, ''I'll show you guys how it's done.''

The blonde walked up to Ruby and said, ''Please come with us to the amusement park, Rubes.''

The redhead closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. ''Yang, I'm not going. I don't-''

The rest of Ruby's words died in her throat as she opened her eyes and she saw Yang. The blonde had the ''sad puppy'' look on her face and was shedding a couple of tears and even her bottom lip was trembling.

''Come with us, please? It won't be fun without you. Can you please come with us, Rubbly Roo?'' Yang asked in a sad tone.

As much as the team leader wanted to say no to the blonde's request, she couldn't. Her resistance was shattered by the look Yang gave her, making her unable to say the word she wanted to say. In the end, she had to give up and give in to her teammates' request.

''Alright, you win. I'll go with you guys to the amusement park. Happy?'' Ruby said with a sigh.

''OH, ABSOLUTELY!'' Yang yelled happily and pulled the younger girl into a tight hug. Weiss and Blake soon joined the blonde in hugging their beloved team leader. They finally had hope of getting Ruby back to the cheerful and happy girl that they loved.

* * *

It was finally weekend and the girls of team RWBY were at the amusement park. As soon as they got in, Ruby started to slowly cheer up. It seemed like the atmosphere of the place had a positive effect on her, which was something the three older girls noticed. They were going to make their leader smile again after all the heartbreak she had been going through.

Things were going surprisingly smoothly for the teammates, as the WBY didn't fight a single time for the right to sit next to Ruby on the different rides. Before they had arrived, the three older girls had come to an agreement in which order each of them got their turn to be next to Ruby. After all, they were trying to make the younger girl feel better, which wouldn't be achieved if they were fighting. However, this still didn't stop two of the three older girls throwing angry and jealous glares at the one who was sitting next to the team leader.

The members of team RWBY had a fun day altogether. The only time things seemed to get messy was when they went to the bumper cars. The way the WBY were crashing at each other made it almost look like they were trying to kill each other, not just have fun. Their little battle stopped once someone bumped into Ruby quite roughly and the three older girls spent the rest of the time trying to crush that person.

It was getting late and the park would soon be closed. The four girls were walking around, trying to think of what to do before leaving.

''So, you guys wanna go have a last ride at the roller coaster or something?'' Ruby asked. She honestly didn't care what they would do as their last thing. She had so much fun already that she was honestly satisfied.

Yang was about to suggest something, but then she noticed that they had wandered to an area that had all sorts of stands around them. These had different games where you could win all sorts of prizes. The blonde had an idea on how to end this day and took a hold of Weiss' and Blake's hands, which earned her confused stares from the two girls.

''Actually, we have a little surprise planned for you, Ruby. We'll go get it ready and come back later, okay? We won't take long,'' Yang told the younger girl and dragged her other two teammates with her, before they could protest in any way.

Once the three older girls had gotten far away from Ruby, Yang let go of her two teammates, who were visibly displeased by the way the blonde had treated them just now. Both Weiss and Blake were glaring at Yang and looked like they were ready to punch her.

''You brute, why did you suddenly drag us all the way here!? And what is this surprise you were talking about!?'' Weiss angrily asked.

''Here's the thing, Weiss. I want to propose a contest,'' Yang answered with a smirk.

''A contest? What kind of a surprise is that for Ruby?'' Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.

''The contest itself isn't for Ruby. Look around yourselves,'' Yang told her teammates. The other two girls did so and saw the stands. ''It would suck if none of us got closer to Ruby, right? So I suggest that we go and try to win the best possible prize for Ruby. Whoever gets her the best one, wins.''

Weiss and Blake glanced around themselves and thought about it for a moment. They then gave a quick look at each other, before turning back to Yang with determination in their eyes.

''Count me in,'' Weiss stated.

''Same here,'' Blake said.

Yang grinned. ''May the best girl win.''

* * *

The three older girls of team RWBY set out to find a perfect stand for them to compete at and win a prize from. They came upon a small stage that had a karaoke machine and a monitor on it. The trio immediately decided to go and give it a try.

Yang went first. She picked up the microphone and chose an energetic rock song as the one she would sing. While she did put energy into her singing, she was unfortunately horribly off-key and not able to sing properly. It was more like drunken screaming instead of singing. Every person around covered their ears, if they didn't run away. In the end, she was forced to stop by the person who was managing the karaoke machine. He turned off the machine while Yang was still trying to sing and told her to never use it again.

Once Yang had shamefully left the stage, it was Blake's turn on the mic. While she didn't cause as much horrible noise as her partner did, she kept messing up the lyrics and couldn't put enough strength to her voice. It was like listening to a little girl awkwardly mumble her lines at a play. In short, it was embarrassing for almost everyone present, with the exception of Weiss and Yang who were laughing.

After Blake's humiliating performance, it was finally Weiss' turn on the mic. All of the spectators expected it to go just as well as with the two previous singers, but the heiress surprised everyone by singing in an absolutely beautiful voice. Her performance was so stunning that some spectators were actually brought to tears. Once Weiss had finished her song, the crowd around her erupted into cheers. It was clear which of the three girls had won this competition and she received a small stuffed snowman toy as a prize.

Weiss walked up to her two teammates with a cocky smirk on her face and her prize in her hands. ''Did you see that? Grace, elegance, beauty and skill. All embodied in me. Try to beat that, why don't you?''

Considering how enraged Blake and Yang got, it was surprising that they didn't strangle Weiss right there.

* * *

The trio of girls walked away from the karaoke machine in search of their next stage for their contest. They eventually came upon a stand that had a ring tossing game. The goal was to throw a plastic ring so that it got caught up around a small wooden pole. The three girls decided to try their skills at that.

While Weiss was able to get a couple of rings around the poles, most of her rings missed and she was unable to win anything. However, she was doing a lot better than Yang, who was unable to get even one ring to get caught into one of the poles. She either used too much power and threw them way over the poles or she used too little and they pretty much fell to the ground. To say that the blonde was frustrated would be an understatement.

Although the other two girls failed, Blake was able to impress everyone around them with her skills. She took all of her rings in her hands and threw them at the same time and managed to get each and every one of them around a pole, earning her a small, black stuffed cat toy as a prize.

Blake turned to her teammates, who were staring at her with wide eyes. The cat faunus smirked. ''Did you say something about grace, elegance, beauty and skill, Weiss? I think I've got those in the bag.''

Weiss let out a huff and Yang gritted her teeth from anger. The blonde was starting get furious from losing against her teammates.

* * *

The WBY went on their way and found their last stand to compete at. It was a strength game, where they would have to hit a lever with a mallet that would then make a puck rise up a tower and hit a bell, which would indicate that they had won. The three girls agreed that it would be their last competition for the day.

Weiss was the first to try her strength. The heiress took hold of the mallet and tried to lift it up, only to be unable to even get it off the ground. She tried with all of her might, but the mallet would not lift. As she was doing this, the stress caused her face to turn red and her to make all sorts of pained expressions, which Blake and Yang found quite hilarious. Eventually, Weiss did manage to slowly lift up the mallet, but soon dropped it on her foot. Her two teammates practically roared with laughter as they watched Weiss jump around on one foot while holding the other and letting out some rather colorful language.

Blake was the next one and she did manage to lift up the mallet, although with a lot of trouble. She walked up to the lever and lifted up the mallet to strike it down, but soon fell on her back from the mallet's weight. This caused Yang to laugh out loud, which in turn angered Blake. The cat faunus lifted up the mallet again for another try and managed to actually hit the lever this time. Unfortunately, the puck didn't even go halfway, which gave Yang another reason to laugh like a lunatic.

Finally, it was Yang's turn on the game and she walked up to it. The person managing it offered her the mallet, but the blonde simply shook her head. Instead of using the mallet to hit the lever, she actually used her bare fist to hit it. However, this was more than enough to lift the puck up to the bell, as it flew up to it with such speed that it smashed through the bell. While Weiss and Blake were staring at Yang with wide eyes, the blonde went to collect her prize from the shocked person managing the game and received a small, yellow stuffed dragon toy.

Yang walked up to her teammates with a wide grin on her face. ''You guys can talk about the things you have, but a Huntress is worthless without strength and power, which I have. Along with beauty and skill, too.''

Weiss and Blake decided not to dignify the blonde's statement with a response and just grumbled instead.

* * *

With their prizes collected, the trio of girls set out to find their beloved team leader. They were planning on giving Ruby the stuffed toys they had won and see which one she liked the best. The three girls searched around the area they had left the redhead at, but were unable to find her. They were starting to get worried, when a sudden voice caught their attention.

''Hey! Over here, guys!'' Ruby yelled as she ran towards her teammates and waved her hand. She was also carrying a small paper bag with her. Relief washed over the three older girls as they saw their team leader.

''Ruby, where were you? We've been looking for you!'' Yang asked with a wide smile.

''Sorry. I was playing this one game,'' the redhead explained. ''What were you guys doing?''

At the same time, the three older girls presented the toys they had won to Ruby.

''These are for you, Ruby,'' Blake said with a gentle smile.

Ruby stared at the offered toys with wide eyes. ''R-Really?''

''Oh, absolutely,'' Weiss said. ''You deserve so much from us that something like this is nothing. We came here to make you feel better, after all.''

''Oh my gosh! Thank you guys so much! Hang on a second!'' Ruby said excitedly and started to dig through the paper bag she had with her. She pulled out three stuffed toys and offered them to her teammates. ''These are for you!''

The three older girls looked at what Ruby was offering them. For Weiss it was a small, red sun with a smiling face on it. For Blake it was a small, red tiger. And for Yang it was a small, red robot. The three girls accepted the gifts with big smiles on their faces.

''Oh, Ruby. You didn't need to do this,'' Yang said happily and hugged the toy she just got.

''Well, you guys have been helping me a lot, so I thought that I should pay you back in some way,'' the team leader said while rubbing the back of her head and blushing.

''You're too good for us,'' Blake said with a smile, before she thought of something. ''By the way, which of the gifts we just gave you do you like the best?''

Weiss and Yang stared intently at Ruby, anticipating her answer. The redhead giggled. ''I honestly can't pick one over the others. Each of them remind me of you guys and you're the dearest people to me in the whole world. I could never pick one of you over the others.''

While the three older girls were disappointed by the fact that none of them had won, they were still smiling at their beloved leader's kindness. The girl was honestly too nice for her own good sometimes.

* * *

It was finally the park's closing time and team RWBY had to leave. As they were walking, the WBY noticed that their team leader was deep in thought. This made the three girls worry, since the goal of their whole trip was to cheer up Ruby. If the girl was still saddened because of something, then their trip would have been for nothing.

''Something wrong, Ruby?'' Weiss asked her partner.

Ruby shook her head with a small smile on her face. ''Oh, it's nothing. I just realized something.''

''What is that?'' Blake asked with a raised eyebrow. She, Weiss and Yang were very interested in hearing what the redhead was talking about.

''I think I'm giving up on romance,'' Ruby answered, which to three older girls felt like they had been stabbed through the heart. ''You guys made me realize that I cannot let a couple of bad experiences keep me down. There is a lot more to life than that and I need to keep moving forward. Otherwise, I'll always be depressed and I'll miss a lot of in life.''

''But- Ruby- That's not-'' Yang stammered in trying to correct the younger girl, but was unable to come up with a good response.

''Thank you guys! I honestly feel a lot better now!'' Ruby said with the brightest smile on her face, before she started to run towards the station for the Bullheads. ''Come on, you guys! We can't miss our flight to Beacon!''

As the redhead ran, the three older girls let out a heavy sigh. Their plan to cheer up Ruby had backfired at them.

''This wasn't supposed to happen,'' Yang said in a depressed tone.

''It was your idea to take her to the amusement park,'' Weiss accused her blonde teammate.

''Well, at least it was a fun day,'' Blake stated sadly.

The trio ran after their team leader. They might have been able to accomplish their goal, but it came with the consequence that their beloved Ruby was no longer interested in a romantic relationship. They honestly didn't know if they should laugh or cry.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Finally back with a new chapter for this story. I was too busy writing my other story, but I decided to come back to this and write a chapter for it. I hope you guys liked it!**

 **People have been asking about who Ruby ends up getting together with in the end and I want to set this straight. I have no plans for the ending at the moment nor do I know how long I'm going to make this story. I'll write it as long as I can before coming to an ending. I can only say that I would like to leave the whole thing of Ruby getting together with anyone unresolved/open. In other words, she doesn't officially end up with anyone specifically. This is because I want everyone to be happy and not just a small part of my readers. I could have you guys vote on it, but not only do I not know how to do it, I am 100% certain that it would end up with Weiss winning. I have nothing against WhiteRose fans, I personally don't just like the pairing. I also feel like there's too much of WhiteRose and Bumblebee in general as well. I mean, pick just a random RWBY fic and I'm willing to bet that 9 times out of 10 it's either WhiteRose, Bumblebee or both. It's okay if you like them, I just don't and I'm tired of seeing them everywhere. Hope you understand. I'm not trying to offend anyone.**

 **I also want to say that there's a high chance that when I return to Dragon Unleashed, I'm probably going to work on it until I have finished it. This is because I'm getting near the end and I want to finally finish it. I will return to this story, it's just that I want to get Dragon Unleashed done so I can work on other stories. I'll also try to figure out what to do with this story during that time. I have ideas for future chapters, I just need to figure out how to do them. So prepare for a bit of a wait.**

 **Also, if you guys have any questions, please feel free to PM me or ask them in the reviews. I'll try my best to answer as soon as possible. However, if you leave them in reviews that I can't directly respond to, be prepared to wait a while. I will do my best to answer all questions, but if I can't send you a direct response, you might be in for a little wait.**

 **Anyways, hope you guys liked this and please leave reviews, follows and faves!**

 **See you next time!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	12. Drinks And Celebrations

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 12: Drinks And Celebrations**

The three older girls of team RWBY were quite happy. They had succeeded in driving away their competition for Ruby's love and had even managed to cheer up their beloved team leader. There were obviously problems, like the fact that Ruby had apparently given up on romance and there were still people that were giving the redhead more than friendly looks. However, all in all they had secured Ruby for themselves, which was more than enough to make them happy.

This was something that called for a celebration in Yang's opinion. The blonde was skipping with a smile on her face to her team's dorm, while carrying a large box in her hands. Once she arrived at her dorm, she kicked the door open, surprising Weiss and Blake. The two girls were not happy with the way Yang entered the room and shot angry glares towards her.

''You damn brute, have you ever heard of opening the door!?'' Weiss yelled angrily. ''Did you really need to scare us and almost break the door!?''

Yang didn't seem to care about the heiress' question as she was glancing around the room. ''Is Ruby not here?''

''She said that she needed to go pick up some parts for her weapon in Vale and that she wouldn't be back until much later,'' Blake answered. ''Why?''

''I thought it would be a cool idea to celebrate our recent success with Ruby,'' the blonde said with a grin. ''Although, it's better if she's not here. She's not old enough for this.''

''Just what in God's name do you have in mind?'' Weiss asked with suspicion in her voice.

Yang put the box she had on the floor and opened it. Both Weiss and Blake looked inside and saw that it was full of bottles of beer. Both girls turned to look at Yang with a raised eyebrow.

''Yang, is your idea of celebration getting drunk?'' Blake asked.

''That's right!'' the blonde answered with a nod.

''How did you even get all of this? You're underage!'' Weiss exclaimed while looking at the bottles.

''I paid Junior a visit and got them at a reasonable price,'' Yang said with a smirk. ''Had to go through some rather harsh haggling though.''

* * *

Meanwhile at Junior's club, said owner was watching as his underlings were cleaning up his club. He was paying attention mostly towards the Malachite twins, who were responsible for this latest destruction in his opinion.

''I said that the blondie could take the beer. I said that it would be better that way. But noooo. You two just had to pick a fight with her and wreck my club, didn't you?'' Junior grumbled angrily while glaring at the twins. The two girls looked down in shame as they continued to clean up the place.

* * *

''I appreciate the thought, Yang. But do you really think that we should be doing this?'' Blake asked. ''We may have driven away our competition for Ruby and managed to cheer her up, but we also caused her to give up on love. That doesn't exactly call for a celebration.''

''Only if you look at the negatives like that,'' Yang stated with a proud smile. ''If you look at it differently, we have managed to secure Ruby for ourselves and have fixed the damage that was caused in the process. She may have given up on love, but I'm sure that one of us can fix that.''

Weiss and Blake gave each other a look and considered what their blonde teammate had just said. It was honestly true what Yang had said. If you looked at it correctly, they had achieved a desirable outcome in what they had been doing. When they looked at it like that, they also felt like celebrating a little.

''Okay, we're in,'' Weiss said and Blake nodded, showing that she was truly sharing the heiress' opinion. Both of them picked up a bottle of beer, which caused Yang to grin widely.

''Good to see that we are all on the same page here!'' the brawler said happily and picked up a bottle for herself as well. ''Cheers!''

* * *

By the time Ruby returned to her dorm, it was already dark. There had been trouble with the Bullheads and she had been forced to wait for a long time until she managed to get to Beacon. The redhead groaned as she thought about her teammates. The three girls were probably worried and would bombard her with questions, especially Yang. She could only hope that things didn't get too out of control.

When Ruby opened the door, the first thing she noticed was a strange smell in the room. It was disgusting and she decided to open the window as soon as possible. However, the second thing she noticed was Weiss sitting on her knees on the floor. The white-haired girl was completely still and didn't seem to have noticed Ruby enter the room. The redhead decided to walk up to the her partner and see if something was wrong with her.

''Are you okay, Weiss?'' Ruby asked her partner.

The heiress slowly turned her head to face her partner, before suddenly looking up at Ruby. The redhead was scared by the look Weiss was giving her. The white-haired girl's face was red and she had the angriest look that Ruby had ever seen. The young team leader hoped that she had not accidentally angered her partner.

Before Ruby could say anything, Weiss suddenly got up and grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her close to glare at her straight in the eyes. The redhead was starting to sweat. She was expecting the heiress to beat her into a pulp.

''NOW LISTEN HERE, RUBY!'' Weiss yelled. ''YOU MIGHT BE OUR TEAM LEADER, BUT YOU NEED TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR BURDENS WITH US! WE ARE NOT HERE TO SIMPLY SIT ON OUR ASSES WHILE YOU DO ALL THE WORK! YOU'RE WORKING TOO GODDAMN HARD! UNDERSTOOD!?''

''Y-Yes! I understand! I'll make sure to think about what you just said!'' Ruby quickly replied, afraid of what Weiss might otherwise do to her.

''AND ANOTHER THING!'' the heiress continued. ''I'M NOT GOING TO EVER EVEN THINK OF TAKING YOUR PLACE AS THE LEADER OF THIS TEAM! YOU HAVE MORE THAN EARNED THAT POSITION AND I COULD NEVER BE AS GOOD AS YOU! I DARE YOU TO DISAGREE WITH THAT!''

''I won't! I won't! I agree with you! I swear!'' the redhead said as fast as she could in a terrified voice.

''AND THAT CLOAK LOOKS REALLY GOOD ON YOU!''

''T-Thank you!''

''AND GOODNIGHT!'' Weiss yelled before throwing Ruby on her bed. The heiress then turned around and started to walk towards the bathroom, although she was swaying quite a bit. ''AND YOU BETTER HAVE SOME NICE DREAMS! BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, I'M KICKING YOUR ASS!''

Once Weiss had entered the bathroom and closed the door, Ruby allowed herself to let out a sigh of relief. What could have made her partner act like that? And what was that nasty smell that was coming from her mouth? It was somehow familiar.

The redhead's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone sniffling. She looked around and noticed that the sound was coming from Blake's bed. The redhead noticed that her teammate was curled up on her bed and was apparently crying. Worry immediately took over Ruby. She wondered if someone had found out about Blake's heritage and had bullied her. Whatever the reason was, she would not leave her teammate alone and soon made her way to the older girl's bed.

''Blake, is something wrong?'' Ruby carefully asked as she put her hand on the older girl's shoulder.

The cat faunus turned her head to look at her team leader. Ruby saw that Blake's eyes were red from crying and that her face was wet from the tears. The sight broke the redhead's heart and she couldn't help but wonder what had happened. But before she could ask anything, her teammate suddenly embraced her in a tight hug and started crying on her shoulder. Ruby tried her best to offer comfort by wrapping her arms around the sobbing older girl and rocking her back and forth.

''Blake, what's wrong?'' Ruby asked in a gentle tone as she continued to offer comfort to Blake.

''I'm such a horrible person, Ruby!'' Blake said while sobbing. ''I-I don't know why you tolerate me! I could never be good enough for you!''

''Don't be ridiculous, Blake,'' the redhead said as she started to gently stroke the cat faunus' head. ''You're not horrible in the least. You're my dear friend and teammate, and I would do anything for you.''

''I-I don't understand how you can look at me like that!'' Blake continued. ''I'm a former terrorist and a coward! To top it all off, I'm not pretty or any fun to be around with! I'm just the worst person to have around!''

''You stop that right now, Blake Belladonna,'' Ruby said in a stern but gentle voice. ''You might have been part of the White Fang, but you at least realized that they were in the wrong and decided to fight against them. While most people would just give up and stay on the wrong path, you had the strength and courage to change your ways. That makes you one of the greatest people I have ever known and not a coward at all.''

''R-Really?''

''Absolutely,'' the team leader said with a gentle smile. ''Besides, what is this about you not being pretty or fun? You're one the most gorgeous people I have ever seen and one of my favorite people to hang out with. Also, how could I ever think of you as someone not fun to be around, when we share the same hobby of reading books?''

''Do you mean that, Ruby? Do you?'' Blake asked with hope in her voice.

''Of course! Why would I ever lie to you?'' Ruby answered with a wide smile.

It seemed like Ruby had managed to break Blake out of her depression, as the cat faunus hugged her leader tightly and kept saying ''thank you'' over and over again. After Blake calmed down, Ruby laid her on the bed and got up.

''I'm going to go and check a couple of things, but I'll be back soon, okay?'' the redhead asked her teammate. After the cat faunus gave a nod, Ruby stepped away from the bed.

While she might have seemed calm on the outside, Ruby was panicking inside. She had noticed that same smell in Blake's breath that she had noticed in Weiss'. The redhead finally remembered where she had first encountered it. It happened about a year ago on Yang's birthday. She could only hope that she would not face the same-

''Wooby...'' a familiar voice slurred behind Ruby, crushing all of her hopes.

The young team leader looked behind her to see Yang standing there. The blonde's face was red and she was swaying a bit as she stood there. She had a goofy smile on her face and her breath had the stench of alcohol. All of these were signs that told Ruby that Yang was completely drunk.

''H-Hi, Yang. Do you need- Ooof!'' Ruby's question was cut off as Yang suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

''Wooby!'' the blonde cheerfully slurred as she started to rub her cheek on the younger girl's head.

''Yang, what is wrong with you!?'' Ruby asked in a pained voice while Yang tightened her hug.

''Yangy luvs Wooby!''

''Yes, yes, that is very lovely and I love you too! Now can you please let me go!?'' the young team leader asked as she tried to get out of the hug, but the blonde simply tightened her hold further.

''No! Nevah!'' Yang shouted like a spoiled child. ''Yangy will never let go of Wooby! Wooby the best there is! Yangy will always have Wooby for herself!''

''Yang... seriously... I can't breathe...'' Ruby managed to say while in the painful embrace.

''Wooby belongs to Yangy!'' the blonde yelled as she sat down on Weiss' bed while still holding Ruby in a tight embrace. ''Yangy will hold Wooby and keep holding Wooby or she could disappear! Yangy doesn't want that! Yangy wants Wooby to be there always!''

''Yang, you know that I will never disappear. I will always be there for you. Now can you please let me go?'' the redhead asked as her face started to turn blue from the lack of oxygen.

''And someday, Yangy will marry Wooby!'' Yang cheerfully declared.

''Yang, I swear that- Wait, what?''

''THE HELL SHE WILL!'' Weiss shouted as she came out of the bathroom and stomped her way to Ruby and Yang. She then started to pull Ruby away from the blonde. ''SHE WILL MARRY ME, IF SHE KNOWS WHAT'S GOOD FOR HER!''

''Excuse me!?'' Ruby yelled out of shock.

''WAAAAH! I want to marry Ruby!'' Blake cried out as she came and started to pull Ruby to herself. ''I know I'm not good enough for her, but I want to marry her and live happily ever after as well! Is that so wrong!?''

''WHAT!?'' Ruby screamed.

''Nah-uh! Nah-uh! Wooby is for Yangy and only for Yangy! No one else can have Wooby but Yangy!'' Yang yelled and pulled the redhead towards herself and away from her teammates.

''WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?'' Ruby managed to yell before the lack of oxygen from Yang's hug made her pass out. Her three teammates kept arguing over who gets to marry their team leader, before eventually passing out as well. All of the four girls spent that night on Weiss' bed, with the three older girls cuddling their youngest teammate.

* * *

The next morning, Ruby was the first one to wake up. She sat up on the bed and looked around herself. She saw all three of her teammates were still asleep on the bed and they were still smelling from their yesterday's drinking. After letting out a heavy sigh, Ruby got out of bed and went into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

 _'Just what was with those guys yesterday? What got them drinking so much that they were completely drunk and acting like that? And to say all those things they said?'_ Ruby thought to herself as she splashed some water on her face to wake herself up. She then remembered the last thing that happened before she passed out. All three of her teammates arguing over who gets to marry her, which made her blush and turn as red as her cloak. _'Were they serious? Did they really mean it when they said those things?'_

Ruby walked out of the bathroom while thinking about the proclamations of love from her teammates, until she nearly tripped on an empty bottle of beer. She looked down at it and frowned.

''Yeah, right. It was just the beer that made them say such things. As if they could ever actually be in love with me,'' the young team leader said with bitterness and sadness in her voice. She then heard her teammates groan as they were waking up and she let out a sigh. ''Well, I guess I need to go and help them with their hangovers. What a lovely morning this is turning out to be.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: And another chapter done! This was pretty fun to work on and I hope you guys liked it.**

 **The next chapter might take quite a while before I get it done. I think that I'm going to focus all of my writing on Dragon Unleashed now, so that I can get it done and finished. I might come back to this story, but you should go with the idea that I won't return to this story until I have finished Dragon Unleashed. I hope you guys can wait.**

 **While I'm doing that, you can still send me questions. I'll try my best to answer them as soon as possible, but depending on the way you send them, it can take a while until you get an answer.**

 **See you guys next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	13. Twist Of A Game

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 13: Twist Of A Game**

The moment Yang saw it, she knew that she needed to have it. She had been walking around the city of Vale, when she happened to walk past a store that was selling board games. While the blonde wasn't one for board games most of the time, preferring video games over the cardboard games, the one game that caught her eye was one that was one of her favorite games of all time. Memories of playing said game with Ruby back on Patch instantly filled her mind when she saw it. Unfortunately for her, they had lost the game back there and were unable to get a new one. However, now she had a chance of getting to play it again and make more dear memories involving her and her beloved redhead. That's why Yang wasted no time in going inside the store and buying it. She wanted to have another chance of playing Twister with Ruby.

When Yang finally arrived in her dorm room in Beacon, she looked around the room to see if any of her teammates were around. Seeing that she was all alone, she pulled out her new board game and looked at it with the most perverse grin on her face. The blonde looked at the picture on the front of the box with all the smiling kids playing the game and started to imagine herself and Ruby in similar positions. Such mental images made the blonde's face turn as red as her team leader's cloak and drool to fall out of her mouth. She also started to giggle uncontrollably.

''Yang, what is wrong with you now?'' a sudden female voice asked, scaring said blonde. Yang turned around to see her two teammates and rivals in love, Weiss and Blake, standing there and looking at her.

''Oh! Ummm... Nothing?'' the blonde lied as she hid the game behind her back, not wanting the other two girls to see it. She had bought it for herself and Ruby, not for her enemies.

''What is that thing behind your back?'' Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.

''Just some study material! Nothing suspicious at all!'' Yang said, sounding very unconvincing. She was sweating from the stare she received from Weiss. It was clear that the heiress didn't believe the excuse at all.

However, the blonde failed to notice that Blake had moved behind her. The cat faunus used Yang's distraction to take the board game from her.

''Hey! That's mine! Give it back!'' Yang cried out and tried to tackle Blake, only for the raven-haired girl to step out of the way and trip her blonde partner, making her fall to the floor.

''Mind explaining exactly what you were planning to do with this?'' Blake asked with a raised eyebrow as she handed the box to Weiss. The heiress immediately blushed upon seeing the game.

''You disgusting pervert! Just what were you planning to do with this!?'' Weiss screamed at Yang.

''It's uhhh... It's for... helping my body... be more... flexible?'' the blonde tried to lie, but her teammates could see right through it.

''You were planning to molest Ruby by using this game as a cover, weren't you?'' Blake said accusingly, which caused Weiss to get even angrier.

''...Yes,'' Yang said in a quiet and defeated voice.

Weiss was about to yell at her blonde teammate, but Blake managed to cut her off by saying, ''That's a pretty good plan.''

Both Yang and Weiss turned to stare at their faunus teammate with wide eyes. Neither one of them could believe what Blake had just said. The idea that the raven-haired girl would compliment one of her rivals in their attempt at getting closer to Ruby just seemed too crazy to believe.

''Blake, what is wrong with you!?'' Weiss asked her teammate. ''Have you forgotten that you're fighting over Ruby's affections with Yang and I!? Why would you compliment her for her plan to molest the girl you like!?''

''I said it because it's the truth,'' Blake answered as she took the game from Weiss. ''I mean, from what I have heard of this game from Sun, it's pretty much used for just that purpose. I would honestly do the same as Yang.''

''Exactly!'' Yang said with a wide grin. ''Man, it's good to see someone who sees the brilliance of my plan!''

The blonde went to take the box back from the cat faunus, only for Blake to pull it away.

''Why would I let you have it, when I can use it to get some much needed intimacy with Ruby for myself?'' the raven-haired girl asked with a smirk. ''Oh, I can already just imagine her body against mine. I'm going to have so much-''

Blake's fantasizing was stopped by Weiss, who took the game from her. Yang looked at her teammate with a big smile, thinking that the heiress was on her side.

''Nice one, Weiss! You got back my game! Gimme, gimme!'' the blonde said excitedly. However, the heiress didn't return the game to Yang and instead only glared at her teammates.

''I can't believe that you two would try to use something like this on sweet and innocent Ruby! Unlike you two, I'm going to protect her purity by destroying this disgusting garbage!'' Weiss yelled angrily before turning around and heading towards the door.

Yang was about to go after the heiress, but Blake stopped her. The cat faunus gave her partner a look that said 'I can handle this.'

''Really now, Weiss? Why would you throw away such a great opportunity? Were you perhaps going to have a completely non-physical relationship with Ruby? I believe that you would like some closeness from her and this is a perfect chance to experience it. I mean, just think about it,'' Blake said with a smirk, causing Weiss to stop. ''Both you and Ruby grinding your bodies against each other. Her warm breath on your face. Your hands ''accidentally'' touching her body. You wrapped around her. That's what you want from her, correct?''

Each thing the cat faunus said made Weiss' face turn more and more red. Just imagining herself playing Twister with Ruby was enough to make her knees weak and shaky. Some drool started to drip from the corner of her mouth as the images in her head got more heated. Eventually, she couldn't hold herself.

''KYAAAAH! It's perfect! I have to play this with Ruby!'' the heiress said with a squeal. She then started to look around the room, as if she was looking for her team leader. ''Where is she!? Where's Ruby!? I need to play this with her! RIGHT NOW!''

Yang had finally had enough of her teammates holding her game of Twister that she had bought with her own money and grabbed it from the heiress. The blonde's eyes were red as she glared at her white-haired teammate.

''The hell you will! I bought this thing, so it's mine! Get your own game, because I'm going to play this with MY Ruby!'' Yang angrily told Weiss, who then started to fight over the Twister with the taller girl.

Meanwhile, Blake had been watching her teammates' actions thoughtfully. She knew that this needed to be solved or none of them would be playing Twister with Ruby. She then had an idea.

''Hold on, you two! We are approaching this in the wrong way!'' Blake said, catching the attention of her two teammates. ''Instead of just one of us playing Twister with Ruby, we should all play it with her at the same time.''

''What!? Are you crazy!?'' Weiss yelled. ''I don't want to rub against that savage! She smells worse than a pair of overused gym socks!''

''Hey! That's only because I train hard!'' Yang yelled back at the heiress. ''Besides, it's way better than your disgusting and overpriced perfumes!''

''Excuse me!?'' the heiress yelled as she turned towards the blonde. ''I'll have you know that those perfumes are made by some of the best experts out there and are used by the highest of Atlesian nobility!''

''A good reason for me not to visit Atlas then! If the nobles pay hundreds of bucks to smell like an overflowing sewer, I don't want to know how bad the other people smell!''

''Enough, both of you!'' Blake yelled, interrupting the argument between her teammates. ''Look, I know what I proposed doesn't seem all that delightful, as even I don't want either one of you rubbing on me, but there's really no other choice! Don't you guys think that Ruby would become suspicious, if each one of us wants to play Twister with her on our own!? Especially when we won't play it together! The only way for us to do this is by pretending that we are all having fun, but instead try to have our own fun with her! Let fate decide who gets into what position with her!''

Yang and Weiss thought about Blake's words for a moment. They soon realized that the cat faunus had a point. Ruby would suspect something, if each one of them tried to get her to play the game with them. The best option they had was to play together with the whole team, while trying to make the best of it.

''Alright, fine,'' Yang said with a frustrated sigh. ''But I call dibs on the butt!''

''What butt?'' a rather familiar voice said, catching the attention of the WBY. The three girls turned to see Ruby standing at the door with a confused expression on her face.

''R-Ruby! When did you get here!?'' Weiss asked, having grown nervous with the other two older girls upon seeing their beloved team leader. They were afraid of how much the redhead had heard.

''Just now,'' Ruby answered. ''What are you guys talking about?''

''Ummm... Nothing,'' Yang lied. She then decided to try changing the topic and possibly putting her plan into action. ''By the way, would you like to play a game with us?''

The redhead's eyes seemed to lit up with curiosity. ''A game? Sure! What game is it?''

''It's called Twister,'' Blake said with a smile. ''Have you ever played it?''

''Oh... That one. I'm sorry, but I can't play it,'' Ruby answered with a slightly saddened tone.

''Ruby, don't be like that!'' Weiss said in a cheerful voice, trying to get her partner to change her mind. ''It will be fun! It doesn't even require you to remember any complicated rules.''

''No, I seriously can't play it. I have some bad back pain,'' the team leader said and held her back.

''...What?'' all three older girls asked at the same time.

''Yeah, my back has been hurting all day. I even got this note from the nurse's office,'' Ruby explained as she showed a piece of paper to her teammates. The three older girls looked at and saw that their team leader was speaking the truth. ''I'm supposed to show it to Professor Goodwitch, so that I can skip combat class.''

''But... what about the game?'' Yang asked, feeling all of her fantasies crumbling.

''Well, you guys can play it with each other! I can be there to tell what you guys need to do!'' the redhead cheerfully exclaimed. Upon not hearing her teammates responding, she looked at them and saw that they were looking at each other awkwardly. ''I mean, you guys were going to play it together, right?''

The WBY started to sweat. They knew that they had to suck it up and play the game. Otherwise they might blow their cover. Each of the three girls just hoped that the session wouldn't be as horrible as they feared.

* * *

''Alright, Blake, put your left hand on green!'' Ruby cheerfully instructed her friend, who did as she was told. However, as she was doing this, her hand accidentally touched Weiss' butt, which the heiress didn't like at all.

''Hey! Hands off, you damn stray cat!'' Weiss angrily whispered at the faunus.

''Bite me, princess!'' Blake whispered back, equally angry.

The three older girls of the team were in a rather uncomfortable situation right now with their bodies twisted together in a game of Twister. They had been playing the game for quite a while now, but not just to keep up their cover in front of Ruby. Each of the three girls wanted to show the other two that they were better, in any possible way. Their rivalry over Ruby had made them quite competitive with each other. There was also the slight hope that their team leader would get to see one of them in a way that would ''impress'' her in a way, but the redhead was too busy enjoying spinning the spinner and watching her friends play the game to notice.

''You know what, Weiss?'' Yang whispered to her teammate. ''As much as your perfume might stink, which it totally does, it's nowhere near as bad as the stench from Blake. I mean, does she eat anything other than tuna?''

''Judging from the stench of her breath, I'd say that she has eaten only tuna for the last 10 years,'' Weiss whispered back. ''For the love of God, Blake, brush your teeth!''

''Well, the two of you could both use a shower!'' Blake angrily whispered at her teammates.

Meanwhile, Ruby was completely oblivious to the arguments of her teammates. The redhead was actually happy that she had back pains, since she had a good reason not to play the game. Back at Patch, she had at first been happy to play Twister with Yang, but that excitement died quickly. The blonde had a nasty way of cheating by letting her limbs ''accidentally'' touch her in very specific places. Because of this, Ruby had developed a great dislike towards Twister, but still played it with Yang regardless. She was just unable to say no to the blonde. However, as Yang's touching got more and more intimate, Ruby had decided to get rid of the game by taking it into the forest and burying it there. Now she wondered if she should do it with this one as well or fake back pains every time she was asked to play it. The redhead knew that Yang would still use the same tactics and was not exactly willing to go through it again.

 _'Well, I guess I'll let it stay here for a while. This is pretty fun to watch!'_ Ruby thought to herself happily as she spun the spinner again and told Yang to put her right leg on red. The redhead had to hold back her laughter as she watched the blonde awkwardly put her leg over Blake. The team leader was in for a fun day.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Man, the WBY are surprisingly perverted. Too bad for them that their plan backfired against them big time.**

 **Anyways, as you guys can see, I'm back doing this story again. I'm finally finished with Dragon Unleashed and I'll be focusing on this story for now. Unless something else comes up, that is.**

 **Please leave reviews, faves and follows. They are what keeps this story going.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	14. Movie Night

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 14: Movie Night**

Weiss and Blake were sitting on their beds in the dorm. Both girls were doing the things they usually did, which meant that the heiress was studying and the faunus was reading one of her books. However, if one were to take a closer look at what they were doing, one would see that the two girls had hidden magazines behind their books. The magazines they were reading offered tips and advice on how to get noticed by the person you loved, and the girls were studying them harder than any of their school books.

Their study session suddenly ended when Yang made her way into the room by kicking the door open. Both Weiss and Blake glared at their blonde teammate for entering the room in such a noisy way and damaging the door. It didn't seem to affect Yang, who was smiling widely while carrying a small plastic bag with her.

''You brute, did you have to do that!?'' Weiss yelled at her teammate.

''Oh, stop whining, princess,'' Yang replied without losing her smile. ''Besides, you shouldn't have time to worry about a door, when you should worry about the test we are going to take soon.''

''Test?'' Blake asked and looked at Weiss. The heiress seemed just as confused as the cat faunus. ''What are you talking about? We don't have any tests scheduled right now.''

''Bah! As if I would be talking about something as worthless as that!'' the blonde answered. ''I'm talking about a test that will once and for all show who Ruby belongs to!''

Now Weiss and Blake were interested. Whenever their beloved team leader was brought up, it was guaranteed to catch their attention. The two girls set aside their study materials and walked up to Yang to see what the blonde was talking about.

''Care to explain this test to us and how it works?'' Weiss asked.

''It's really simple. We use these!'' Yang stated as she pulled out two DVD's out of the plastic bag she was carrying. One was an animated movie for children and the other one was a horror movie.

Both Weiss and Blake shared a look of confusion. They had no idea how they were going to solve their rivalry with two movies.

''Yang, how are those supposed to determine who gets Ruby?'' Blake asked as she stared at her partner with a raised eyebrow.

''We are going to watch these movies and the person Ruby clings to is the winner,'' the blonde replied. ''You see, Ruby gets really invested in movies and gets very emotional. For example, this animated movie makes her cry and latch onto the person sitting next to her. She also gets really scared from horror movies and snuggles into someone for safety. It's really cute!''

Yang's two teammates were thinking about what they had just learned about their beloved leader. Both girls imagined Ruby hugging them for comfort and found the thought very pleasing. They started to grin widely and blush from the images in their heads.

''So, what you're saying is that the person Ruby hugs is the one who is most likely closest to winning her love and thus wins this test?'' Blake asked her partner.

''Yup! That's the plan!'' Yang answered. A cocky smirk soon came over her face and she said, ''But I should warn you, I've been Ruby's safety pillar for years already. I doubt you guys stand a chance.''

''Oh? Have you ever considered the idea that she might want a new safety pillar? Maybe someone who has been fighting by her side for some time now? Like her _partner_?'' Weiss said with an equally cocky smirk.

''I'm afraid you're a bit too short for that, ice queen. Besides, when I'm reading with Ruby, she likes to lean on me from time to time. I think she might see me as someone much safer to be with than either of you,'' Blake said with a cocky smirk as well.

''May the best girl win. In other words, me,'' the blonde said and looked her opponents in the eyes. Each of the three girls were so focused on each other that they didn't notice the door opening and a certain someone walking in.

''Hey, guys! What's up?'' Ruby cheerfully asked as she entered the room, catching the attention of her teammates.

''Ruby! We were thinking about having a movie night. Wanna join?'' Weiss asked.

''A movie night? Sounds fun! What are we watching?''

''These,'' Yang replied and showed the two movies to Ruby. The redhead looked at them and her face turned skeptical.

''Those? Are you sure, Yang?'' Ruby asked the blonde.

''Come on, Ruby! It will be fun!'' Yang said in an attempt to convince the younger girl. Ruby still seemed skeptical, but she did the mistake of looking at Yang. The blonde had her ''puppy eyes'' on and only look at them and the redhead's resistance was broken.

''Fine. Let's watch those then,'' Ruby relented with a slight sigh.

Yang quickly looked at Weiss and Blake with a big smile and gave them a thumbs up. Both of the two girls were grinning widely. Judging by Ruby's reaction to the movies they were going to watch, the blonde had not been lying about how the redhead got invested into movies. They were going to have a fun night ahead of them.

After the WBY had a quick game of rock-paper-scissors to determine who gets to sit next to Ruby, with the winners being Yang and Blake, the four members of team RWBY took their seats on the couch and put on the first movie.

* * *

''WAAAAAH!''

''It's okay. It's okay. They're all fine. They're all fine.''

These were the sounds that were made by two members of team RWBY, as they were watching the animated movie for children. One of the girls was crying loudly and hugging one of her teammates, while the girl that was being hugged tried to comfort her crying teammate. Most would think that the person that was crying was Ruby. However, this was not the case.

It was Yang who was crying, with Ruby trying to comfort the older girl.

Weiss and Blake could only stare with wide eyes at what they were seeing. Yang Xiao Long, the girl who charged towards hordes of Grimm without any fear, was crying while watching a movie meant for children. To think that their brash and loud teammate had such a sensitive side to herself seemed unreal. It was made all the more confusing by the fact that the blonde was the one who suggested these movies.

''Does... this happen often?'' Blake asked Ruby.

''Oh yes. It can be quite bothersome,'' the redhead answered. ''It's especially bad when we're watching Disney movies. After we were done with Toy Story 3, I had to spend the entire night comforting her in her bed.''

''Sheesh. If that was so bad, I wonder how she would react to Bambi?'' Weiss wondered out loud, causing Yang's body to tense up.

''Did... Did someone say Bambi?'' Yang asked while still sniffling.

''Aaah! No, no, no, no! No one said that! You must have heard wrong!'' Ruby quickly said to the blonde as she hugged her even tighter and stroked her head in attempt at comforting her more. The redhead then turned to glare at Weiss. ''Weiss, never say the b-word! If she starts thinking about it, I'll end up as her personal teddy bear for the whole week!''

Both Weiss and Blake continued to stare at their two teammates for a while, until the faunus turned to look at the heiress and said, ''You know, this would be hilarious, if it weren't for the fact that I was jealous of the position Yang has gotten for herself.''

Weiss looked at Yang and Ruby and couldn't help but feel jealous as well. The blonde was being hugged by the girl she loved. To say the least, the heiress wouldn't mind switching places with Yang.

''I agree. This movie night is not what I had in mind,'' Weiss said to Blake in a grumpy voice.

* * *

After watching the movie all the way to the end and getting Yang to calm down, the members of team RWBY put on the horror movie next. This time, Weiss and Blake were sure that Ruby would come to them for comfort and safety. A girl as pure and innocent as her would not be able to stand what she was about to see.

Oh, how wrong they were.

''EEEEEK!'' Yang screamed as she was scared by the movie so badly that she jumped into Ruby's lap, hugged her tightly and buried her face in the younger girl's shoulder.

''Yang... It's okay... You're safe... Just stop... crushing me...'' Ruby managed to say while struggling to breathe in Yang's hold.

Weiss and Blake couldn't believe what they were seeing. The movie was so bad and fake that neither of them were scared even a bit, yet Yang was screaming in absolute terror and hugging Ruby like she was the only thing keeping her safe. And to top it all off, the redhead was not affected by the movie at all.

''Aren't you scared at all, Ruby?'' Blake asked her leader.

Ruby shook her head. ''Nah. I used to get pretty scared by these movies, when I was younger, but now they don't affect me at all. The effects seem just so fake to me and the characters too stupid for me to get invested in the least.''

''Did you use to get invested in movies like the animated one we watched?'' Weiss asked.

''Yeah. I used to cry a bit in movies like that, but I stopped,'' the redhead answered as she continued to comfort the shaking Yang. ''I guess it's all thanks to Yang that I don't do that anymore. While I may have cried in some movies, I never did it to the point she did. I guess I stopped doing it so that I could be there to offer her comfort. Wouldn't do either of us any good if we were both crying, you know?''

Both Weiss and Blake looked at each other before looking back at their blonde teammate. If this was a regular thing, why had Yang suggested these movies? She should know by now that it wouldn't be Ruby that was going to be affected by what they were watching, so why would she suggest these movies?

It was while they were wondering this question that they saw it. Yang was looking at them from the corner of her eye and smirking. That one look immediately answered the question Weiss and Blake were asking. The blonde had planned for all of this to happen. She was using these movies as an excuse to get close to Ruby and the redhead was too kind to push her away under any circumstances. They were certain that Yang was faking all of this.

The look Yang was giving her two rivals angered them greatly. Both of the girls' faces turned red and their bodies started shaking from the sheer rage they were feeling. However, they knew that they couldn't do anything. If they were to lash out at Yang in any way, it would make them look bad in Ruby's eyes. They had no choice but to hold their anger and just bear with it.

* * *

After the movie was done, the four members of team RWBY got ready to go to sleep. Each of the four girls put on their sleepwear and were about to go to bed, but Ruby was suddenly stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Yang standing there with a scared and nervous look on her face.

''Ummm... Ruby? Could you... sleep with me tonight? I think that movie scared me a bit too much,'' Yang asked the younger girl awkwardly.

Ruby let out a small sigh and looked at the older girl with a kind smile. ''Alright, you big baby. I'll be there to scare away the bad dreams.''

''Ruby, don't you think that you're coddling her a bit too much?'' Weiss asked while barely restraining her anger.

''I agree. Yang should be old enough to sleep on her own,'' Blake added.

''Guys, it's okay. If I leave her on her own, she won't be able to fall asleep,'' Ruby answered to her two teammates.

Weiss and Blake shared a glance before looking at Yang again. They saw Yang smirking and giving the victory sign, which annoyed both girls to no end. As much as they wanted to stop what was happening, they knew that they were unable to do so. The blonde had won this time.

''Besides, on the worst case scenario, she might even wet the-'' Ruby began, but was silenced by Yang covering her mouth with her hand.

''Shhh! No need to tell them about that!'' the blonde whispered to the redhead with an embarrassed blush on her face. She then guided Ruby to her bed, where the two girls snuggled close to each other.

Weiss and Blake glared at Yang in envy for a while, but eventually fell asleep. Ruby soon fell asleep herself, but Yang was still left awake. While her two rivals thought that she was simply faking her crying and being afraid, but she actually wasn't. The blonde had shed honest tears and had really been scared by the horror movie, and that had been the plan. Yang knew that she could use how she got invested into the movies to her advantage and had succeeded.

However, this came with one big problem. She was unable to fall asleep now from being scared by the horror movie they had watched. Every little sound she heard became a sign of a monster moving around the room, as her imagination was running wild. Yang was in for a long and restless night. She tightened her arms around Ruby and hoped that she could get through the night.

* * *

The next morning, Ruby woke up to find Yang still asleep next to her with her arms around the younger girl in a tight hug. Luckily it was weekend at the moment, so the blonde could sleep for as long as she needed. With a bit of struggling, the redhead managed to get out of the hug she was in and get off the bed. Ruby felt around her sides a bit and noticed that she was a bit bruised from being hugged so tightly by Yang.

''Morning, Ruby. Did you sleep well?'' Blake asked while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

''Morning, Blake. And I think I could have slept better,'' Ruby answered while rubbing her bruised sides. ''By the way, can I ask you something?''

''Sure. Go ahead.''

''Do you think that we could set limits to what movies we watch on movie nights?''

* * *

 **Author's notes: Yang really is a big kid inside, isn't she? First the action figures and now this. You have to wonder just who the actual ''big sister'' between Ruby and Yang really is.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter and I hope you leave a review, a fave or a follow.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	15. A Sick Rose

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 15: A Sick Rose**

It was another beautiful morning in Beacon. The sun was shining brightly into the dorm of team RWBY, waking up one of the people in the room. Weiss slowly opened her eyes and looked around herself. She noticed that it would take a while until the alarm clock started ringing and woke up the others. The heiress decided to get up and go take a shower, so she wouldn't end up fighting over it with her teammates.

After finishing her shower and dressing up for the day, Weiss sat on her bed and waited for the others to wake up. Her mind wandered to the girl sleeping on the bed above her. She started to think of how she could use her current position to her advantage. Maybe she could give her beloved redhead a kiss to wake her up? Or-

A sudden groan above her broke the heiress out of her thoughts. The sound Ruby had just made was rather strange. It sounded like the girl was in pain or something. Weiss climbed up to Ruby's bunk and tried to get a good look at the redhead, but she had covered herself with her blanket, so the white-haired girl was unable to see her face.

Weiss was about to reach over and pull the blanket away, but the alarm clock started ringing loudly and caught her off-guard. The heiress fell to the floor rather painfully, catching the attention of her other two teammates.

''Weiss, what are you doing?'' Blake asked as she looked at said girl with a frown.

''You were not trying to do anything weird to Ruby, right?'' Yang asked and cracked her knuckles a bit.

''No! Absolutely not!'' Weiss quickly defended herself. ''I was just worried about her, since I heard her make a strange sound.''

''What?'' Yang asked as she jumped down from her bed and practically ran to Weiss. The blonde's eyes were full of worry as she stared at the heiress. ''What kind of a sound? Is she having a nightmare?''

''I don't know. I was about to check out, but the alarm clock started ringing and stopped me,'' Weiss answered.

''Whatever it is, it's nothing good,'' Blake said, catching the attention of her teammates. ''I mean, she is the fastest one of us to get up, right? She's still in bed.''

Both Weiss and Yang turned to look at the bunk of their leader to see that the faunus was speaking the truth. Ruby was still in bed, which could only mean that things weren't well with the redhead. Normally she would already be up.

The three older girls of team RWBY decided to set aside their differences for now and focus on the well being of their beloved leader. They all climbed up to Ruby's bunk to check out her condition. The redhead was still under her blanket and none of the older girls could really tell what was up with her.

''Ruby? You okay? Wake up, please,'' Yang asked as she gently nudged the younger girl.

Ruby pulled the blanket down to show her face to her teammates. The WBY was shocked to see that their leader's face was red and her eyes were tired. She was clearly sick.

''I'm sorry, guys, but could you let me rest for now?'' Ruby asked in a hoarse voice and let out a couple of coughs. ''I don't think I'll be able to attend classes today.''

All color drained from the faces of the three older girls as they saw just how sick their leader really was. Panic soon made it's way into their hearts as they felt like their whole world was crumbling from around them.

''NO! RUBY, YOU CAN'T DIE!'' Yang yelled as she pulled said girl into a tight hug.

''STAY WITH US, RUBY! DON'T GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT!'' Blake shouted at the redhead.

''RUBY, YOU CAN'T LEAVE US! WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO TEAM RWBY WITHOUT YOU!?'' Weiss screamed as she started crying.

''W-What the hell are you guys talking about?'' Ruby managed to ask through all the noise her teammates were making.

* * *

A couple of minutes later, Ruby was in the infirmary, getting looked over by a doctor. The redhead's teammates were sitting close to them, not wanting to be away from their beloved team leader, especially at the moment. The doctor had tried to get them to go to class, but after seeing how serious the three older girls were, he had to let them have their way.

Besides, there was not a single man that was either brave or stupid enough to face those three, when their emotions were raging like that. The doctor could swear that he saw the Grim Reaper behind those girls as they glared at him.

The doctor was finally finishing his check up on Ruby, which felt like an eternity to everyone there for different reasons. Ruby just wanted to go rest in her bed, the WBY were worried over their leader and the doctor had to be very careful with his check up as the three older girls watched for any inappropriate movements from him.

''What is the diagnosis?'' Weiss asked impatiently.

''Is she going to be okay?'' Blake asked immediately after the heiress.

''SHE ISN'T GOING TO DIE, IS SHE!?'' Yang screamed in desperation.

Both Ruby and the doctor let out frustrated sighs. ''No, she is not going to die. Your leader just has a flu, probably from all the stress she has been facing recently. Something I can most likely guess the main source for. She just needs to rest and she'll be perfectly fine.''

To say that the WBY were relieved would be a massive understatement. The three girls were so overjoyed that they started to practically dance around the room. They even picked up Ruby and started to throw her up in the air, which was NOT appreciated by the redhead.

''You hear that, Rubes!? You're going to be okay! Woo!'' Yang cheered happily as she and her other two teammates kept throwing their youngest teammate up and down.

''I SAID THAT SHE NEEDS REST! SHE IS REALLY GOING TO DIE IF YOU KEEP DOING THAT!'' the doctor yelled angrily at the three celebrating girls.

The WBY stopped bouncing their leader, which Ruby was extremely thankful for, and turned their attention back to the doctor.

''Rubes is going to need someone to look after her while she's recovering, right?'' Yang asked excitedly. ''Can you inform the teachers that I'll be taking that role?''

''She doesn't need that. She just needs-''

''Oh no you won't!'' Weiss exclaimed, cutting off the doctor. ''I'm the one who is best suited for that! I should be the one to look after her!''

''No, seriously, that isn't necessary. She-''

''You can barely take care of yourself, you spoiled brat,'' Blake said angrily. ''I'm the most mature of us, so I should take care of her!''

''Are none of you listening!?'' the doctor asked loudly, finally getting the attention of the three girls. ''She doesn't need anyone to take care of her! She only needs rest! Besides, I'm pretty sure you three would only make things worse.''

The moment the doctor said those words. the three older girls' gazes turned murderous. The man's anger was immediately replaced with fear as he looked at the furious Huntresses in front of him.

''You will inform the teachers that I will be taking care of Ruby. Understood?'' the WBY asked in a low and menacing tone.

The doctor was sweating from fear. He spared a glance at Ruby, who had passed out from being tossed around by her teammates. He prayed that the redhead would be safe, while under the care of her teammates.

* * *

''Ruby, would you like me to sing you a lullaby?''

''Ruby, do you need another blanket?''

''Would you like me to read you a bedtime story, Ruby? Like when we were kids?''

Said redhead could only let out a frustrated groan. She knew that her teammates meant well, but all she really wanted was to rest in peace. Not only that, but this had been going on for the last two hours. Ruby was starting to doubt that she would be getting any better with how things were going.

''Guys, for the last time, I don't need anything,'' the team leader said with a sigh. ''All I want is to get some rest. You don't need to worry about me so much.''

''Of course we need to worry about you!'' Yang yelled. ''It's our responsibility to worry about you!''

''Ruby, you are not only our leader, but also a very important person to all of us. We won't stop worrying until you are fully healed,'' Blake added.

''Which is why this needs to be taken care of immediately!'' Weiss stated as she went to dig through her belongings. She soon returned with a small bottle full of strange purple liquid. ''And this will help us with it!''

''Weiss, just what is that stuff?'' Ruby asked with fear in her voice. The liquid looked like some type of a poison to her.

''It's a new medicine that has been developed by the SDC!'' the heiress cheerfully exclaimed with a bright smile. ''It is guaranteed to cure any illnesses! Just try it!''

''I'm not sure. I think that I will only need some rest and that's it,'' the redhead said nervously as she got ready to run for her life. However, she was stopped by Blake and Yang, who took hold of her and held her in place.

''Come on, Rubes. Don't be a baby and take your medicine,'' Yang said with a smile.

''Yes. It is for your own good, after all,'' Blake added before turning her attention to Weiss. ''That stuff is safe to use, right?''

''Well, there is still some testing that needs to be done and we haven't managed to perfect it yet,'' the heiress said with a nervous laugh. ''But I'm sure that it will help! I promise!''

Blake and Yang gave each other an unsure look. They didn't want to use their beloved team leader as a test subject, but they also wanted to help her as best as they could. Both of them looked down at Ruby and saw her looking at them with pleading eyes, which almost destroyed their resolve. However, they also saw how sick she looked, which in turn strengthened their resolve.

''It's for the best,'' Blake said.

''It's for the sake of Ruby,'' Yang added.

''Come on, guys! You can't be seriously thinking about making me swallow that stuff! It looks like poison!'' Ruby screamed as she started to struggle, but was unable to break out of the hold she was in.

''Come now, Ruby,'' Weiss said as she walked up to the redhead and opened the bottle of medicine she was holding. ''It's for your own good. Now open wide!''

The heiress stuck the bottle into Ruby's mouth, forcing all of the liquid inside it into the team leader's mouth and down her throat. Only after she had swallowed the very last drop did Weiss take the bottle out of her mouth.

''So? How do you feel?'' the heiress asked with a smile.

''Pretty normal, actually,'' Ruby answered. Her face then suddenly turned green and she put her hands over her mouth. ''Oh God... I think it's coming back up!''

In a sudden burst of rose petals, the redhead disappeared from the middle of her teammates and into the bathroom. The three older girls soon heard her making sounds of throwing up into the toilet.

''Great medicine, Weiss,'' Blake said in a sarcastic voice.

''Yeah, I can't see why you haven't gotten it into the market yet,'' Yang said in an equally sarcastic voice.

''Hey! You two weren't stopping me, now were you!?'' Weiss yelled and pointed an accusing finger at her two teammates.

Once the sounds stopped coming from the bathroom, the three older girls decided to go check up on their youngest member. They found her laying on the floor in a fetal position and shivering badly. They immediately carried her to her bed and tucked her in.

''Alright, now that that's been tested and proven useless, any other ideas?'' Yang asked her teammates.

''How about just letting me rest?'' Ruby pleaded weakly.

''No! We are going to see to it that you are properly taken care of and heal perfectly! That is our duty!'' Weiss yelled at the redhead, causing her to whimper in fear.

''I might have an idea,'' Blake said and went to dig through her belongings. She soon came back with a small box of needles. ''I think we can use these.''

''Just what are you planning to do with those?'' Ruby asked fearfully with wide eyes.

''It's called acupuncture. Thin needles are inserted into the patient's body at specific points. This heals the patient,'' the faunus explained.

''I'm not so sure about that. I personally don't believe in alternative medicine all that much,'' Weiss said in a doubtful tone.

''Oh yeah. Because ''real'' medicine worked so well the last time. Let's do it, Blake!'' Yang said and went to hold Ruby down, while Blake got ready with her needles.

''Guys, don't do this to me! I don't want- OW!'' the team leader began to beg, but was cut off when the faunus inserted the first of her needles.

''Don't worry, Ruby. I know what I'm doing,'' Blake said with a smile on her face as she continued her work. ''I mean, I've only seen the list of places to put these only a couple of times, but I'm sure I can handle it.''

''That's not reassuring, Blake! Stop this before- Urk!'' Ruby began, but stopped as another needle was inserted into her body. After that, she was completely silent and still.

''See? It's making you feel better, isn't it?'' the faunus asked with a smile. However, when she didn't receive any answer, she started to grow concerned. ''Ruby?''

Yang was starting to grow concerned as well and checked Ruby's pulse. When she didn't find any, her face went pale and her eyes widened.

''She has no pulse. You killed her! YOU KILLED RUBY, BLAKE!'' Yang screamed at her partner.

''Wait! I think I can fix this! I must have accidentally put that needle in a place that put her in a fake death state! I just need to use a needle on another place to fix this!'' Blake said before quickly grabbing a needle and shoving it into Ruby's body.

However, she was so panicked that she didn't look where she put it and it went right into Ruby's butt. Although, it did manage to bring life back into the redhead, if her screams of pain were any indication.

''GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUUUUT!'' Ruby screamed with tears in her eyes as she thrashed around wildly.

''Ruby! You're alive!'' Yang yelled happily while crying tears of joy.

''I KNOW! BUT CONSIDERING THE PAIN I'M IN, I MIGHT ACTUALLY PREFER DEATH AT THIS POINT!'' the redhead screamed.

After having all the needles removed from her body, Ruby was left laying on her bed on her stomach, while she cried tears of pain. Meanwhile, the three older girls were discussing the recent accident. Or in other words, blaming Blake for almost killing their beloved leader.

''How could you do that, Blake!? Were you trying to assassinate her!?'' Yang said accusingly to her partner.

''You were helping me, weren't you!?'' Blake said back.

''Yeah, because I didn't know you could kill her!''

''This why I don't support alternative medicine!'' Weiss yelled. ''At best it doesn't help and at worst it might kill you! Only actual medicine can help you!''

''Oh no! We already tried it your way! Now it's my turn!'' Yang shouted before walking up to Ruby.

The young redhead looked up at the blonde and whimpered. ''Yang... please... no more...''

''Don't worry, Rubes! You're in good hands now! I've actually taken some lessons in giving massages, so you're in the hands of a professional!'' Yang stated with a grin as she got to work.

Ruby was expecting another painful experience, but to her surprise the massage Yang was giving her actually felt really good. The redhead could feel herself practically melting in the blonde's hands as she did her work. Weiss and Blake could only stare in envy at what their teammate was doing with the girl they loved.

''Oh God, Yang. That feels so good. Please, don't stop,'' Ruby managed to say through her moans.

''If you like this, you're going to love what's coming up!'' Yang said with a wide grin and took a hold of one of Ruby's arms.

''Yang, what are you- GYAAAAH!'' the redhead screamed as her arm was bent behind her back in an angle that almost broke it.

''No worries, Ruby! Soon you'll feel as good as new!'' the blonde cheerfully said as she continued bending different parts of Ruby's body, making her scream in pain every time.

''PLEASE, STOP! I DON'T THINK I- AAAAGH!'' Ruby screamed as her legs were suddenly bent over her back, making her feel like her spine was about to break.

After a couple of minutes of bending, Yang finally let Ruby go, leaving her laying on her bed with her body twitching. The blonde had a satisfied look on her face as she finally stopped what she had been doing.

''There we go! How was it, Rubes?'' Yang asked with a smile on her face.

''Blake, can I ask you for a favor?'' Ruby said in a weak voice without lifting her head up to look at her teammate.

''Sure. What is it, Ruby?'' Blake responded, hoping that she would get a chance to make the girl she loved happy.

''Can you punch Yang for me? I would do it myself, but I think I'm paralyzed.''

''Certainly!'' the faunus happily said and did as she was requested.

''OW!'' Yang cried out in pain from getting punched.

''Thank you.''

''I suppose that didn't go as planned either,'' Weiss mumbled to herself.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Weiss went to open the door. Team JNPR was standing there, with Jaune holding a pot in his hands.

''Hey, we heard that Ruby was sick and came to see her. Can we come in?'' Jaune asked.

The heiress nodded and let the team into their dorm. The four members of JNPR stood in the middle of the room and looked at Ruby. Said redhead had turned her gaze towards the visitors, wondering what they wanted.

''Hey, guys. What brought you here?'' Ruby asked.

''We heard that you were sick, so we decided to bring you something,'' Jaune replied with a smile. ''This will surely cure you! It's-''

The blonde boy didn't get to finish, as Ruby jumped down from her bed and stomped over to him and his teammates. The look on her face was one of pure fury and it struck terror right into the souls of team JNPR.

''No! No more medicine! No more treatments! All I want is some peaceful rest and nothing more! So can I finally get that!?'' Ruby yelled at the team in front of her while her body was shaking with rage. She then used her Semblance to quickly throw the four members of JNPR out of the room and slam the door behind them.

''...I just wanted to offer her some chicken soup. My mom made it for me when I was sick,'' Jaune said in a sad tone.

''I'm sure this was all just a misunderstanding,'' Pyrrha said as she put a comforting hand on her partner's shoulder.

Back in team RWBY's dorm, Ruby wasn't done with her angry outburst. She had turned her attention to her own teammates now, who were staring at her with wide eyes. Their bodies were shaking with fear and all color had drained from their faces.

''And you three! How is it so damn hard for you to understand that I need rest!? Not your horrible medicine or your murder treatments! So do me a favor and... let... me...'' Ruby started ranting, but she suddenly started swaying from side to side before falling on the floor.

The three older girls immediately ran to their leader's side to see if she was alright. To their horror, they found out that the girl was unconscious and practically burning with a fever. They immediately carried her to the bed and laid her there.

''Ruby, we are so sorry. Please be okay,'' Weiss whispered with tears in her eyes.

''We didn't mean to hurt you. We only wanted to help you,'' Blake said as she tried to hold back her own tears.

''We just want you to be safe. You mean so much to us,'' Yang said as she was openly crying.

The WBY did the only thing they could think of. They all climbed into the same bed with Ruby and snuggled up with the girl. Blake's was laying to Ruby's right, Yang to her left and Weiss on her. It didn't take long until they all fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Ruby was the first to wake up. She sat up on her bed and noticed something. She put her hand on her forehead and found out that she didn't have a fever anymore. However, before she could get overwhelmed with the joy she felt from recovering, she noticed her teammates on her bed. She saw how they all had tear stains on their faces, which immediately broke her heart.

 _'Guess they were really worried about me. Maybe I was a bit too hard on them yesterday. I should-'_

The redhead's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by her teammates, who all suddenly started coughing badly. Ruby's eyes went wide with disbelief as she realized what was going on.

''Wait a second... Don't tell me...''

* * *

''Yeah, they've all got your flu alright. This is why you shouldn't sleep next to a sick person,'' the doctor explained after he finished his check up on the three older girls. He then looked at Ruby with sympathy in his eyes and said, ''I'm afraid that you'll need to look after them for a bit. Just to be safe.''

 _'THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!'_ Ruby screamed in her head.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Poor Ruby. Your teammates might mean well, but they certainly didn't do well.**

 **Come back next time as Ruby has to take the role of the nurse and look after her teammates.**

 **On a side note, this story has reached over 140 faves and my other story, Dragon Unleashed, over 90! You guys are awesome!**

 **Please leave reviews, faves and follows.**

 **Until next time!**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	16. Nurse Ruby

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 16: Nurse Ruby**

If Ruby had to come up with at least one possible positive thing about her current situation, it would be that her teammates wouldn't be causing as much trouble as usual. Seeing as they all had caught the redhead's flu, they should be resting quietly in their beds for the whole day. Although she needed to look after her teammates, Ruby could expect a much more peaceful day than usual, right?

Wrong.

The young team leader had been very wrong to assume that she could have a peaceful day. If anything, her teammates were even more troublesome than usual. Ruby was constantly running around and doing things for her sick teammates. It was almost like the three older girls were competing over who got their leader to do the most amount of tasks. To say the least, Ruby was not happy.

''Ruby, can you fluff my pillow?''

''Ruby, can you get me another book?''

''Ruby, my shoulders ache, can you massage them a bit?''

The redhead let out a heavy sigh as she went on to fulfill her teammates' requests. No matter how much she wanted to say no, she just couldn't. Ruby was too kind for her own good to do that. It also went against her principles. She thought that she should help anyone that was in need of help, so she couldn't turn down any request, especially from her teammates.

''Honestly, you guys are like a bunch of kids, you know?'' Ruby said as she finished fluffing Weiss' pillow and went to get Blake's book. ''I know that you're all sick, but can't you three do at least something without my help? You're supposed to be older than me.''

''But you heard the doctor, Rubes!'' Yang said with a wide smile. ''He told you to look after us, while we are sick. You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to us, right?''

''I think there's a big difference between looking after someone and being a babysitter,'' the redhead said with frustration in her voice. ''Now would you lay on your stomach so I can massage your shoulders like you wanted me to?''

''Ooh, forceful, aren't we?'' the blonde teased with a smirk. ''I don't know. Maybe I could use a massage for my chest, if you wouldn't-''

''Anymore talk like that and you'll wish that your fever killed you. Understood?'' Ruby threatened with a glare.

''You're no fun,'' Yang muttered and turned on her stomach, allowing the younger girl to give her the massage she wanted. Soon the blonde was letting out moans of pleasure as Ruby fulfilled her request.

Weiss and Blake heard their teammate moaning and soon grew jealous of the treatment she was getting. As soon as Ruby had finished giving Yang a massage, they decided to not waste any time on their requests.

''Ruby, could you come and massage my feet?'' Weiss asked.

''After that, can you give me a massage as well?'' Blake asked as well.

Ruby hung her head low and let out a deep sigh. ''Alright, alright. I'll give you your massages.''

When the redhead got to work on the heiress' feet, Weiss felt like she was in heaven. Although Ruby was no professional at what she was doing, she quickly learned with instructions to do it right. Add the fact that the white-haired girl had a crush on the redhead and you had one of her dreams come true.

While Weiss was enjoying one of her fantasies, Ruby was almost living a nightmare. While she liked helping her friend in need, all this work was starting to take it's toll on her. The team leader just wanted this miserable day to end, so she could just go to bed and rest.

However, once Ruby was done with Weiss, she had to move on to Blake. She walked up to the faunus' bed and stood next to her teammate, waiting for instructions.

''What do you need me to massage for you, Blake?'' Ruby asked in a low and tired voice.

Said girl simply reached up for her bow and took it off, revealing her cat ears. She pointed at them and wiggled them a bit for her team leader.

''...You're kidding me, right?''

''Please, Ruby? While I'm pretty used to having the bow on my head, it still puts some strain on my ears. Could you be the wonderful and kind friend that you are and massage them? It would be a great help,'' Blake pleaded and even let out a couple of fake tears.

The redhead sighed and got to work. She started rubbing her teammate's cat ears, which immediately made Blake purr. The faunus was in heaven and didn't want to come back from there. Sadly for her, Ruby eventually had to stop and she walked into the middle of the room and looked at her teammates.

''Was that all or do you guys need me for anything else?'' the redhead asked, hoping that she could take a break from babying her teammates.

''Actually, I could use some food. I'll have a big plate of pancakes with bacon in them,'' Yang said with some drool falling from her mouth.

''...That sounds disgusting, Yang,'' Ruby muttered.

''I'll have the same, but with tuna instead of bacon,'' Blake said.

''I'll have mine without anything in them, but with honey over them,'' Weiss said.

The redhead let out another deep sigh. ''Any drinks you guys want?''

''I'll have hot chocolate with marshmallows!'' Yang said cheerfully.

''I'll have warm milk!'' Blake said.

''I'll have a cup of coffee with cream in it!'' Weiss said.

Ruby hung her head low and went on to make the food and drinks for her teammates. No matter how much she wished that it was just a bad feeling, she couldn't help but fear that this wouldn't be the last of the requests she would have to fulfill. The young team leader could only hope that the day would pass soon and that her teammates wouldn't be sick for long.

* * *

Once Ruby got into the kitchen, she used her Semblance to it's fullest so she was able to work on all three orders at the same time. The redhead also made sure that each of her teammates got the same amount of pancakes, so there wouldn't be any whining from any of them later.

As Ruby was working on preparing the meals, she didn't notice three of her teachers walk into the kitchen area. These three were Port, Oobleck and Glynda. The three teachers knew of the situation with Ruby's team and were happy to see the young redhead work so hard to help her teammates, with the exception of Glynda. The blonde lady still had feelings for her student and seeing the girl she loved work so hard for someone else's sake broke her heart. She wished that Ruby would do something like this for her.

''I have to say, Ms. Rose, that this is quite the pleasing sight!'' Oobleck said cheerfully, catching his student's attention. ''I see that you are working hard to help your teammates in their time of need! Good for you!''

''Yeah, I sure am,'' Ruby replied in a tired voice, which went unnoticed by Port and Oobleck, but not by Glynda. ''It's a lot of tough work and I'm not sure I'm able to-''

''Nonsense, Ms. Rose!'' Port said, cutting Ruby off. ''It is the leader's duty to look after their subordinates, even at the risk of their own safety! I can see that you are performing at that quite splendidly and I hope to see you continue in the same way!''

The young redhead could only sigh for what was most likely the hundredth time that day and say, ''I will, Professor. I will.''

Ruby soon finished making the food and drinks for her teammates and put them on a small cart she found in the kitchen. She was about to leave the kitchen and go to her teammates, when Glynda put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. The redhead looked at the teacher to see her staring at her with concern in her eyes.

''Ms. Rose, are you alright?'' Glynda asked. ''You seem quite tired. Maybe you should go rest and let someone else look after your teammates. I'm sure that I can find someone to do that.''

''Thank you, Professor Goodwitch, but it's alright,'' Ruby replied with a tired and weak smile. ''It's my responsibility to look after my team, like Professor Port said. I can't just dump it on someone else.''

The blonde teacher frowned a little at her student's response. The other two teachers might not have noticed it, but Ruby was clearly exhausted. It was one thing to work hard for someone else's sake, it was another to kill yourself through exhaustion for someone.

''Peter can be a bit passionate about these things and not see the bigger picture,'' Glynda began in an attempt at changing her student's mind. ''There is nothing wrong with you taking a break to rest and letting someone else do the work. You don't need to kill yourself over this. Please think about it, Ms. Rose.''

Ruby was touched by her teacher's concern for her, but still shook her head. ''Thank you, Professor Goodwitch, but I can't. I can't help but feel that I would fail as a team leader, if I were to do that. My teammates are my responsibility and I need to make sure that they're alright. Thank you for your offer, though.''

Now it was Glynda's turn to sigh. She could tell that there was no way to convince the young girl to change her mind. It made the teacher feel helpless, as she was unable to help the person who mattered the most to her.

''Alright. But I want you to have my Scroll's number, just in case. If you change your mind or feel like this is too much for you, do not hesitate to call me. Understood?'' the blonde teacher said and looked at her student straight in the eyes.

''I will, Professor Goodwitch. Thank you very much,'' Ruby replied and handed her Scroll to Glynda, who put her number on the girl's Scroll. After that, the young redhead took her cart of food and went towards her team's dorm.

As Ruby was leaving, Glynda couldn't help but stare at her retreating form. Her heart was full of worry, as she knew that the redhead was not in her best shape. The girl's usual energy was pretty much spent and she was showing clear signs of exhaustion. The blonde teacher could only hope that her student would stay well.

''I pray the best for you, Ruby. And I wish you would call me Glynda again,'' Glynda whispered to herself.

* * *

When Ruby got to her team's dorm, her three teammates cheered and clapped for her. While she would normally feel proud and happy from it, she just felt tired and beaten at the moment. Her knees were shaking and she had trouble keeping her eyes open.

''Is this all you need or do you guys need anything else?'' the redhead asked.

''Could you prepare a bath for me? I feel like it would help take away the illness,'' Yang asked.

''I would like to get an extra blanket, Ruby,'' Blake requested.

''And I would like to have another foot massage!'' Weiss said cheerfully.

Ruby didn't even say a word and just got to work. She first went into the bathroom to draw the bath, before quickly speeding out of the dorm with her Semblance. She soon returned with Blake's extra blanket and then went on to massage Weiss' feet again.

''Is this enough massaging?'' Ruby asked the heiress as she did her work.

''Just... a bit... more... please,'' Weiss managed to answer through her moans.

''Ruby! Could you come here for a second!?'' Yang called out from the bathroom.

''Just a moment and I'll be there!'' the redhead replied as she was getting ready to finish with Weiss' foot massage. Once she was done with that, she made her way to the bathroom to see what the blonde wanted. ''What do you need, Yang?''

''Could you go and get some stuff from my... you know... secret box?'' Yang asked with a slight blush on her face. The ''secret box'' she was referring to was the box she had put her action figures into.

''Yang... Seriously?'' Ruby asked with a groan.

''Please, Ruby? Can you get at least two things from it, without Blake or Weiss seeing them? Can you be the sweetie that you are and do this for me?'' the blonde begged with a couple of fake tears in her eyes, which broke the redhead's resistance.

''...Which ones do you need?''

''Could you get me Optimus Prime and Darth Vader? Oh, wait! Optimus Prime and Venom! That's even better!''

As Ruby went to get Yang's toys, Blake decided to make another request.

''Ruby, could I get another glass of warm milk? I could really use one,'' the cat faunus asked.

''I'll go get one as soon as I've gotten Yang her stuff,'' the redhead replied as she took out the two toys Yang wanted, making sure that neither Weiss or Blake saw them, and returned to the bathroom.

''Yay! You're the best, Rubes!'' Yang cheered as she got her precious toys. ''By the way, could you stay here and play with me, like that one time? I could use some company.''

''Sorry, Yang, but I need to get Blake another glass of milk,'' Ruby replied in a tired voice and went to get the faunus her drink.

Once the redhead had gotten Blake her glass of milk, she took a look around herself. It seemed like things were finally calming down. Blake was snuggled under her blankets, Yang was happily playing in the bath and Weiss seemed satisfied, to say the least. The heiress was squirming on her bed with a bright blush on her face, while letting out satisfied moans. It seemed like the foot massage Ruby had given her had been quite effective.

 _'Why do I feel like I should be disturbed by that sight?'_ Ruby thought to herself as she looked at her partner.

The redhead decided not to be bothered by her partner's behavior and went on to get a book to read. She was sure that once Yang was finished with her bath, she would be requesting something again. Ruby thought that she could spend the time by reading something.

However, after only a couple of steps, the team leader's head started swirling and she suddenly had trouble breathing. Ruby put one hand on a nearby and started leaning on it. She tried to calm her breathing, but it was difficult for some reason.

As soon as Yang had finished her bath and gotten out of the bathroom, she noticed the younger girl's predicament. To say the least, the blonde was shocked by the sight.

''Ruby, are you okay?'' Yang asked with some worry in her voice.

''I'm okay,'' Ruby weakly replied. ''Just a bit tired, that's all.''

The blonde seemed to accept the response and went to lay on her bed. Now that all three of her teammates were in their beds, Ruby decided to ask them the question she had been asking them through the whole day.

''Do you guys need anything else?''

''Read me a bedtime story!'' all three of the older girls said at the same time.

* * *

After a while, Ruby closed the book she had been reading to her teammates. The redhead could only sigh at what she had been going through just to get the three older girls to fall asleep. First there had been a big argument over what she should read to them. Then Ruby had to go through her teammates constantly asking her to do different things with the way she read, such as changing her voice for the different characters, making her voice match the mood of the story and so on. However, now it was all done and the WBY were sleeping peacefully in their beds while clutching the stuffed toys Ruby had got them during their trip to the amusement park.

''Finally. I thought that this day would never end,'' Ruby said as she put away the book and got up. ''I'll just go wash my face in the bathroom and then go to bed myself.''

The redhead started to make her way to the bathroom, but soon found herself swaying from side to side. Her head felt light and the room was spinning around her. It took everything she had just to struggle to stay up.

 _'W-What's going on? Why is everything spinning around me?'_ Ruby thought to herself before she fell to the floor. _'I can't move even an inch. And it's hard for me to keep my eyes open for some reason. I think I'll rest them for a second and then go to bed. Nothing wrong with that, right?'_

With those final thoughts, Ruby closed her eyes and fell unconscious.

* * *

The next morning, the alarm clock in team RWBY's dorm started to ring at it's usual time, waking up the room's occupants. Weiss, Blake and Yang all got up quickly from their beds. Each of the three girls felt refreshed from yesterday and energetic to face the new day.

''Man, Rubes is just the best!'' Yang said with a big grin. ''I feel like I've been reborn thanks to her looking after us!''

''I agree. The lengths she went to make sure we were okay is simply astounding. We are certainly blessed to have her as our teammate,'' Weiss said with a smile on her face.

''But I do feel kind of bad for using her the way we did yesterday. We should repay her by taking her somewhere nice. Somewhere she can relax. I think she more than deserves it after everything she went through for us,'' Blake suggested.

Weiss and Yang immediately agreed with the idea and were about to tell it to their beloved team leader. However, they were surprised to see that Ruby was not in her bed. They looked around a bit and soon found the missing redhead passed out on the floor. The three girls screamed Ruby's name and rushed to her side.

* * *

''It seems like your leader passed out from exhaustion,'' Ozpin explained to the WBY. The four of them were currently standing in the lobby to the infirmary, with the headmaster telling all he could about Ruby's condition to her teammates.

The redhead had been immediately rushed to the infirmary and taken to a room to rest. The three older girls of team RWBY had tried to gain access to their beloved leader's room, only to be driven away by Ozpin himself. The three girls were forced to wait in the lobby for the headmaster to come and tell them how Ruby was doing.

''Ms. Rose should be fine as long as she gets enough rest,'' the headmaster continued. ''It's very important to let her rest peacefully for her to get better.''

The WBY let out sighs of relief. They had been very scared when they saw Ruby unconscious on the floor and had been worrying over the redhead through the whole day. Now they could finally relax.

''Can we go see her? We promise not to cause any trouble,'' Yang asked, looking at Ozpin with hope along with Weiss and Blake.

''I'm afraid that won't be possible,'' the headmaster answered.

''WHAT!? But we're her teammates! We have a right to see her!'' Blake yelled angrily.

''Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but Ms. Rose herself requested that you three were not allowed into her room. I believe that she said something about not making it out alive, if you three were allowed inside her room,'' Ozpin explained and started to make his way out of the infirmary. ''You shouldn't worry, though. She is in good hands. Professor Goodwitch herself is looking after her.''

''WHAT!? GOODWITCH!?'' the WBY screamed at the same time.

* * *

In Ruby's room, Glynda was looking at her resting student with sorrowful eyes. It pained her deeply to see the one she loved in such a state. The teacher gently caressed Ruby's face with her hand, wanting nothing more than to hold and touch her at the moment.

The redhead suddenly let out a groan and slowly opened her eyes. She turned to look at the teacher that was standing next to her bed.

''Professor... Goodwitch... Is that... you?'' Ruby asked weakly.

''It's me, Ruby. And you can call me Glynda here. There is no one else here,'' Glynda said softly to the redhead.

''I'm... sorry...''

''What are you apologizing for? You have done nothing wrong.''

''I knew I was exhausted... yet I didn't call you.. even when you gave me your number... Now you have to look after me...'' the redhead answered. ''I'm sorry... for being... a burden...''

The teacher was deeply touched by her student's words. No matter how much she didn't want it, those words made her love for Ruby grow even stronger than before.

''You are not a burden and I'm very proud of you. The way you took care of your teammates is something that is rare and you should not be ashamed of yourself at all,'' Glynda said gently to Ruby and started to stroke the girl's head. ''Just rest and focus on getting better. I'll be here for you.''

The redhead gave a small nod and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. The teacher kept stroking the girl's head as she slept. However, the two of them didn't notice a pair of blue eyes spying on them through the door.

''Hmmm. This is interesting. I think I might be able to use this for my plans,'' Winter Schnee mumbled to herself before turning away from the door and walking away. She had just returned to Beacon and heard how Ruby Rose had been taken to the infirmary. She immediately rushed there to see the lovely redhead, only to find Glynda Goodwitch looking after her.

But while most would think that Winter would see Glynda as an obstacle on her path to winning Ruby for herself, she actually saw an opportunity in the blonde teacher.

''Weiss is going to learn not to pick a fight with me. Soon, Ruby Rose will be mine,'' Winter declared to herself as a wide smile spread across her face. The War for Ruby was about to go to it's next stage.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Winter is back in Beacon and Glynda is back in the game. Things will heat up as alliances will be made and betrayals will be carried out. The war is going on it's next stage with Beacon as the battleground.**

 **Or we are just going to be watching a bunch of idiots trying to impress an oblivious girl, while making fools out of themselves. That seems to be a more accurate description.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'm very excited about the next one. I'll get on it as soon as I can.**

 **Please leave reviews, faves and follows.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	17. Rivals United

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 17: Rivals United**

Cinder Fall was sitting at a table in Beacon's cafeteria all alone. Not too long ago, many of the students tried to stay away from her, due to her being intimidating. The raven-haired woman carried herself with such pride and confidence that it showed everyone around her that she was someone you needed to avoid. Just a glance from her eyes was enough to drive away almost anyone around her. Without really doing or saying anything, Cinder had made herself one of the biggest alphas in the whole school.

However, that had all changed.

The once proud woman was now an empty shell of her former shelf, stripped of everything that made her feared and respected. The students that used to practically run away from her didn't even notice her anymore, like she was nothing. Many wouldn't even recognize her anymore, since she was so different from how she used to be.

This change was caused by one thing, her break-up with Ruby Rose. While Cinder's servants were certain that her dating the young redhead was nothing more than a way to advance her plans, the raven-haired woman actually loved the girl. There was something strange about Ruby Rose that made her feel great. Something that made her feel special and warm. Cinder had first dismissed these feelings as nothing of importance, but once she lost them, she was left with nothing but sorrow and regret.

Her servants had noticed her change and were trying their best to get her back on track with her plans. But no matter how much they tried, Cinder couldn't forget her time with Ruby. Even though she thought it was stupid, she was practically willing to give up all of her plans to get back together with the redhead. As much as she wanted to serve her mistress and fulfill her plans, Ruby Rose was simply much more important to her.

Cinder was poking her salad with a fork with no real intention of eating any of it, when the sound of footsteps brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw a certain white-haired woman walking towards her. The raven-haired woman immediately recognized her as Winter Schnee, a high-ranking officer in the Atlesian military. Cinder wondered if her cover had been blown and that Winter was going to arrest her, so she prepared herself for a fight as the soldier came to a stop next to her.

''Cinder Fall, I assume?'' Winter asked with a small smile on her face to which Cinder responded with a small nod. ''My name is Winter Schnee and I have something to discuss with you.''

''What might that be?'' the raven-haired woman asked as she narrowed her eyes slightly. She even started to prepare a fireball to be thrown at the Schnee with one hand under the table.

''I believe that we have something in common. A common goal that we both wish to achieve. And common obstacles that have stopped us from reaching said goal,'' the white-haired woman explained, causing Cinder to stop preparing her fireball.

''What might you be talking about?'' the villainess asked.

''Let's go somewhere a little more private. I wish to discuss this without any unwanted listeners.''

Cinder got up from her seat and followed Winter's lead. She started to wonder what the white-haired woman had been talking about with a common goal and obstacles. She couldn't have been referring to Cinder's secret plans. If Winter was actually on her side, she would have been informed of it. So what could the officer have been talking about?

The two women made their way to an empty classroom. Winter opened the door to let Cinder in and then stepped in herself. The raven-haired woman looked around and saw that besides them there was only one other person in the room. That person was Glynda Goodwitch, one of Beacon's teachers.

Now Cinder was really confused as to why Winter would want to talk with her in private. If she had been found out, she was certain that there would have been more of Beacon's staff there to arrest her, including Ozpin. Since it was only Gynda, arrest was certainly not the thing Winter needed her for.

The raven-haired woman was broken out of her thoughts by Winter speaking, ''Now, I believe that you recognize Glynda Goodwitch here, Ms. Fall. After all, she is one of the teachers here. Like us, she has faced the same problem that we have as well.''

Cinder glanced at the blonde teacher, before looking back at Winter. ''Would you be so kind and finally tell me what this thing that we have in common is? I find it highly unlikely that we have anything in common between the three of us.''

Winter smirked. ''Oh, but we do. Or doesn't the name Ruby Rose ring a bell with you?''

Both Cinder's and Glynda's eyes went wide. They wondered how the white-haired woman had managed to find out about their connections with the young redhead.

''It seems that you both know what I'm talking about. That makes things easier,'' Winter continued as she took a seat. ''Like you two, I also desire to have a closer relationship with Ms. Rose, but have unfortunately not been able to get that. This is because of the three girls that don't let anyone get close to her. Her teammates, Weiss, Blake and Yang. We all have suffered humiliating defeats by their hands, along with many others. I personally think that it's about time we strike back at them.''

''What do you mean?'' Glynda asked.

''The reason why no one has been able to get to Ruby is that her three teammates have united themselves against everyone else. They might fight for Ruby among themselves, but they fight against all other opponents together. Thanks to their unity, they have become an impregnable shield around Ruby. In order to defeat them, we need something of greater power on our side.''

''Just what are you suggesting?'' Cinder asked.

''I suggest that we join forces in order to take them down. Together we can crush those three girls and take Ruby from them,'' Winter said with a wide smile. ''After we are done with them, we can figure out which one of us gets Ruby for themselves. How does that sound?''

There was a moment of silence as Cinder and Glynda thought about what the white-haired woman had just said. It was true that the WBY were difficult to beat due to their teamwork. Each one of the three girls brought their own strengths into their defense around Ruby, making it impossible for anyone to get past them. If the three women were to join forces, they could very well come out victorious.

''I'm not sure,'' Glynda said, breaking the silence. ''I might like Ms. Rose a lot, but I'm still a teacher. Not only is there a possibility that my relationship could get us into trouble, but we are also talking about me fighting against my own students. That is not exactly a thought that I like all that much.''

''Oh? Is your job perhaps more important than your love life?'' Winter asked, making the blonde teacher's eyes go wide. ''Are you satisfied with the way things are? With someone else taking away the person you have fallen in love with? That person could very well be Weiss or Blake. Or even Yang.''

Yang's name hit a nerve with Glynda. The teacher might have been attacked by Blake when she tried to get a date with Ruby, but it was the blonde girl that she disliked the most out of the whole WBY. Being the intellectual person that she was, Glynda couldn't stand students who were lazy and unmotivated. Yang Xiao Long was both of these and more. The blonde girl's idea of good grades meant that she just needed to pass and that was it. The only thing Yang had any motivation in school was combat classes. A true brainless brute in Glynda's eyes. So the idea of a person that the teacher saw as a mixture of the things she hated getting the girl she loved did not sit well with her.

''OH, HELL NO!'' Glynda yelled at the top of her lungs as she slammed her fist on a table. ''I will not let that brainless punk put her hands on MY Ruby! That girl has a bright future ahead of her and Yang would only ruin it! There's no chance in hell that I would let that happen!''

Winter smirked. ''So, I'm guessing you're in?''

''Absolutely,'' the teacher said with a nod.

''Perfect. Now that leaves us with Cinder,'' the soldier spoke as she turned to said woman. ''What is your answer?''

Winter expected the raven-haired woman to accept her offer easily. The reason for this was that losing Ruby had obviously affected her deeply. From what the white-haired woman had learned, Cinder's personality had changed completely after her break-up with the redhead. She seemed to have been suffering from severe depression even. Winter was certain that when presented with an opportunity to get back together with Ruby, Cinder would take it without a second thought.

However, the villainess' answer surprised her.

''Are you kidding me? Do you really think that I have time for this?'' Cinder growled. ''I have plans that I need to see to. Plans that require time. This is not worth that time.''

''What kind of plans are you talking about?'' Glynda asked with a frown.

''Plans much bigger than your childish battle of love. Plans that will shake the world,'' the raven-haired woman replied before walking towards the door. ''You two can waste your time with this. Leave me out of it.''

Cinder was about to open the door, when Winter's voice stopped her.

''How pathetic,'' the soldier said with a shake of her head, her smirk still on her face.

''What did you just say?'' the raven-haired woman asked with a glare directed towards Winter.

''You heard what I said. You're seriously ready to abandon one of the greatest things in the world that many people never experience? And what are these great plans even supposed to be? Even if you succeed in them, will you be happy without anyone there by your side? Or is this just your way of saying that you can't defeat the WBY? If you're not ready to be victorious in the battlefield of love, I doubt that you'll be victorious anywhere else either,'' Winter explained.

Cinder wanted to yell at the white-haired woman, but couldn't. For some reason she wasn't able to say anything back at Winter. She wanted to say that finding love was meaningless next to her plans, but the words couldn't come out of her mouth. It was as if the raven-haired woman herself couldn't believe those words from herself. In the end, she just walked out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

 _'I don't need this!'_ Cinder thought to herself angrily. _'I'm supposed to be conquering Remnant! Why should I chase after a single girl!?'_

However, at the back of her head, Cinder couldn't help but feel that she really wanted to join Winter and Glynda in their plans.

* * *

''It has been really difficult gathering Dust these days,'' Roman explained with sweat falling down his face. ''All the places that have Dust have increased security these days and the police are more aggressive with taking us down. There have been few cases where I've almost been caught.''

Cinder and her two servants were currently in a warehouse that was occupied by Roman Torchwick and his underlings. Neo was also there next to the thief. Cinder had called for a meeting with Roman over his latest string of failures in gathering Dust. The thief was trying desperately to explain his situation, while Emerald and Mercury were looking at him with smirks on their faces. The two never liked Roman and were hoping for their mistress to finally punish him for his failures.

However, Cinder was not paying any attention to what Roman was saying. She was thinking about the meeting she had with Winter and Glynda, especially the white-haired woman's words to her.

 _'Am I making a mistake here?'_ Cinder thought to herself with a frown. _'My plans to conquer Remnant are important, but girls like Ruby are one in a million at best. If I give up on her now, I might as well not even try finding anyone like her.'_

''I have some people inside the police force to help me with my work, but even they have started to get caught, making my work even more difficult,'' Roman continued with his explanations, the frown on his boss' face making him nervous. ''I have to be constantly on edge or I might get caught.''

 _'Truly, even if my plans succeed, I still face the problem of not having anyone beside me,'_ the villainess continued thinking with her frown deepening. _'And I can't really force anyone into that position. What kind of a relationship would that be?'_

With Cinder's frown deepening, Roman started to panic. ''I-I mean, I can still do the work you asked me to do! It's just that it's going to be more difficult and will probably take more time!''

 _'Besides, can I really hope to take over the world, when I can't even win over a single girl? Am I really admitting that I've lost? To three girls!?'_ Cinder's thoughts were starting to become angrier by now and her flaming Aura started to flare around, scaring both Roman and Neo. _'Me!? Losing to three girls, who are still only in training!? ME!?'_

''I swear that I'll get you all the Dust you want! Just give me more time!'' Roman pleaded as Neo hid behind him.

Cinder wasn't listening to the thief's pleas. Her mind was occupied with images of the WBY, who were keeping Ruby to themselves. All three of the girls were staring at her with the biggest grins on their faces and laughing at her. The more the villainess thought about them, the angrier she got. Soon her Aura was burning around her like a bonfire.

 _'They're unworthy. Unworthy! UNWORTHY!'_ Cinder screamed inside her head as her Aura started to rage around her, terrifying anyone who saw her.

''I'M SORRY! PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE!'' Roman begged on his knees with Neo curled up into a ball behind him.

''What are you talking about?'' Cinder asked, having finally taken notice of the thief in front of her. His scream had broken the villainess out of her thoughts and now she was staring at him with a confused frown. Her Aura had also disappeared from around her body.

''I... I'm asking you to give me another chance at getting you the Dust you wanted,'' Roman said in a quiet voice as he stared at Cinder.

''Oh, do whatever you want! I couldn't care less! I have bigger things to worry about!'' the raven-haired woman said as she turned around and walked out of the hideout, leaving Roman, Neo and her two servants to stare at her in disbelief. Cinder was not a person who tolerated failures, so her just walking away without punishing Roman was unbelievable.

 _'Just you wait, girlies,'_ the villainess thought to herself as she made her way back to Beacon. _'I'll show you what happens when you mess with the wrong lady.'_

* * *

Winter and Glynda were in the blonde teacher's office, discussing their plans, when the door to the room was suddenly kicked open. The two women turned to look at the door to see Cinder standing there. The raven-haired woman was panting and had a furious look on her face. She was also carrying two brown paper bags with her. But the one thing that caught the attention of the room's two occupants was the uniform she was wearing. Cinder was dressed in the stealth uniform she used to infiltrate the CCTS Tower.

''I changed my mind,'' the villainess said with a growl. ''I'm joining you two in your plans. No way in hell am I letting those damn girls take Ruby.''

''I must say that I am pleased to hear that,'' Winter said with a smile. ''But what is up with that outfit you're wearing? And what's in those paper bags?''

''I thought that if we are going to a war, we might as well dress up for it,'' Cinder explained and threw the paper bags at her new allies. ''These bags have similar outfits for you guys as well. Put them on and let's go show those girls, why you do not mess with the grown ladies.''

''I'm not sure if that's really necessary,'' Glynda said as she peeked into the bag, before looking at the raven-haired woman again. ''Also, is it just me or do you look familiar?''

''That's not important!'' the raven-haired woman yelled. ''What is important is that we are united against our enemies, and the outfits I got for you guys symbolize just that!''

Winter pulled her outfit out of the paper bag. She looked at it and nodded approvingly.

''I agree. This will show our determination to go against our enemies and take Ruby away from them. It's a symbol of our will,'' the soldier said and put on the mask that was part of the outfit. ''I like it.''

After all three women had put on their outfits, they stood next to each other in a row. Winter was in the middle, with Cinder to her right and Glynda to her left.

''Alright, it's time for us to go and strike at our enemies! We shall take Ruby from the WBY and show those three girls who are the ones worthy of her love! Team WGC, move out!'' Winter yelled out excitedly and walked towards the door.

Glynda turned towards Cinder and whispered, ''What does WGC stand for? I mean, JNPR is Juniper, CRDL is Cardinal, so what's WGC?''

The raven-haired woman shrugged. ''Beats me.''

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain young redhead felt a sudden chill run down her spine. She looked around frantically to see if there were anything threatening around, but couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

''Everything okay with you, Rubes?'' Yang asked with concern in her voice.

''Yeah, everything's okay. It must have been nothing,'' Ruby quickly replied. However, she couldn't help but have a bad feeling gnaw at the back of her head.

 _'Why do I feel like something bad is about to happen?'_ the redhead thought to herself.

* * *

 **Author's notes: And the rivals are back in the game! I told you guys that they would be back. The WBY are in for quite the surprise in the next chapter, as the WGC is coming for some payback.**

 **For those wondering about the whole thing with Glynda and Yang, I kind of want each of the three women be a rival to one of the WBY members. Winter is obviously Weiss', Glynda is Yang's and Cinder is Blake's. The reasons for these pairings are that Winter and Weiss are sisters, Glynda is a strict teacher and Yang an unruly student, and Cinder is a criminal while Blake is a former criminal. They're also color coded with white against white, blonde against blonde and black against black.**

 **The reason I had Blake attack Glynda in one of the earlier chapters was because I couldn't see either of the other girls do it. It's one thing for them to beat up Cinder, who is posing as a student, it's another if they beat up a teacher. Blake was the only one who could handle it in a fitting way. Yang's way of dealing with these things is to hit them as hard as possible, which was suited for dealing with Cinder.**

 **On a side note, after I made the chapter where Yang beat up Cinder and her group, I got many people telling me about how unrealistic it was and that it wouldn't happen. I'm sorry, but this is fanfiction, where that was supposed to be a joke. Hell, I had Cinder wet herself out of fear even. It was not meant to be taken seriously.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and will come back next time, when the WGC makes their counter attack.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	18. Spying On Your Enemies

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 18: Spying On Your Enemies**

The WGC were sneaking around Beacon in their new uniforms. All three women were heading towards team RWBY's dorm, in order to strike back at their rivals. Each of them was doing their best to sneak around unnoticed. However, only Cinder was good at this, while Winter and Glynda needed some serious work on their silent moving. It was as bad as having two elephants trying to be sneaky. They were noticed by quite a few people, who either turned around and walked away or took a picture of them with their Scrolls. Even Ozpin himself saw them, and once he realized that his most trusted teacher, Glynda Goodwitch, was one of three, he walked away while saying, ''I must be getting too old for this.''

The three women were quickly making their way towards their destination, team RWBY's dorm, when Glynda suddenly stopped them.

''Hang on a second, what are we going to do actually?'' the blonde teacher asked.

''What are you talking about? We are going to take down the WBY and take Ruby for ourselves! Weren't you paying attention?'' Winter said in an irritated tone of voice.

''I'm talking about a plan! Do we even have one?'' Glynda responded.

''Sure we do. We go there, kick their asses and take Ruby,'' Cinder answered. ''I still need to pay them back for what I went through.''

''But that's not- Screw it! We're having a strategy meeting, right now!'' the teacher said and dragged her companions into a nearby women's restroom. Soon Coco and Velvet were thrown out of there and the door was slammed shut.

''Was one of those three ladies Professor Goodwitch?'' the rabbit faunus asked her team leader.

''Whoever they were, they had a bad taste in costumes,'' the fashionista muttered angrily. ''Seriously, those outfits were something you see either in comic books or shady clubs.''

* * *

''Alright, we better come up with a plan now or we're walking into our dooms!'' Glynda said angrily at her allies. The three women were currently standing in a circle inside the restroom.

''I already told you, we have a plan!'' Cinder said back to the teacher with frustration in her voice. ''Didn't you listen to me?''

''What you said wasn't a plan! It was a set of goals! We need an actual plan, if we are going to defeat the WBY,'' the teacher replied.

''Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with Cinder's plan,'' Winter said. ''I personally think it's rather brilliant. It's simple, doesn't have unnecessary details and utilizes our strengths perfectly. I say we go with it.''

Glynda rubbed her temples and let out a frustrated sigh. She could feel a headache coming.

''Look, what you two are suggesting is that we go in their dorm, beat up Ruby's teammates and then kidnap her. Do you really think that it would go without any problems? That plan has so many holes in it that an Ursa could walk through it! While I wouldn't mind hurting Ruby's teammates for what they did to me, do you really think she is going to like it? She might even get hurt or join their side in the fight! And do you really think that she is going to like becoming a victim of kidnapping? I personally don't think so,'' the teacher explained her allies.

Winter took hold of her chin as she thought about her comrade's words. ''You're right. If we are going to win this, we need to be more careful and think things through. Otherwise, we might lose before the battle even begins.''

 _'Goddammit, why did I have to join forces with good people? This would be so much easier, if I had villains like myself on this team,'_ Cinder thought to herself bitterly.

''So, do either of you have any ideas on how to approach this?'' Winter asked her two comrades.

''Well, I guess we could go and try to spy on them a bit. Maybe we could find a perfect chance to strike at them that way,'' the villainess suggested.

''We can probably do that through their window,'' Glynda suggested. ''They can be opened rather easily from the outside, so we could eavesdrop on them like that.''

''Then it's settled! We shall gather information through their window and formulate our plan of attack then!'' Winter stated with a grin. With that, the three women left the restroom and headed towards their target.

* * *

''Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all,'' Glynda said fearfully as she was following her comrades. The trio was currently walking on a very narrow ledge that went around the school building. They were trying to get to team RWBY's dorm's window this way, so they would remain unnoticed by the occupants. However, only Cinder was skilled in doing this. Winter was somewhat able to manage herself, but Glynda had almost fallen two times already. ''Maybe we should go back and think this through.''

''Quit your whining!'' Winter hissed at the teacher. ''We all agreed to do this, so don't start having second thoughts now! Besides, this was YOUR idea!''

''Yeah, and I'm regretting it now!'' Glynda whispered back at the soldier.

''Amateurs,'' Cinder mumbled to herself as she lead the group towards their destination.

After going along the ledge for a while, the WGC finally made it to team RWBY's dorm. Cinder peeked inside to see if there were any of the four girls there.

''Do you see anyone in there?'' Winter asked.

''Only Ruby, but she's currently listening music on her Scroll. I doubt that she'll notice us,'' Cinder answered. ''What next?''

''Open the window. Maybe once the others have come, we can learn of a perfect opportunity for us to make our move.''

The raven-haired woman nodded and pulled out a set of tools and started to work on opening the window. It didn't take long for her to open it and push it open enough for them eavesdrop on the occupants.

''Perfect,'' Winter said with a smirk. ''Now we just have to wait for the others to arrive.''

''Do we have to wait for long?'' Glynda asked as she shivered. ''It's rather cold right now and these outfits are not exactly warm. Couldn't you have gotten us warmer outfits, Cinder?''

Said woman turned to glare at the teacher. ''These were designed with stealth in mind. If you have a problem with them, you can come up with suitable outfits yourself.''

While the women were bickering, inside the room, Ruby felt a cold wind brush up against her. She looked at the window and noticed it was open. The redhead jumped off her bed and went to close the window. While she did this, she had her headphones on the whole time, so she never heard the arguing members of the WGC and didn't notice them.

The sound of the window closing broke the argument between the women. All three of them groaned at the same time as they saw what had happened.

''Dammit, open it again, Cinder!'' Winter said with a groan.

''Wait! If we just keep opening it, Ruby will just keep closing it and eventually finds out that we are here! We need to do something else!'' Glynda said, stopping the raven-haired woman from opening the window.

''I suppose you're right,'' the white-haired woman said with disappointment in her voice. ''Guess we have to go think of another plan.''

''Or I could simply throw this small listening device in and we don't have to return empty-handed,'' Cinder said as she pulled out a small device that looked like a button on a shirt and a small radio that was meant for listening to what the device picked up.

''Wait, why didn't you tell us about that before we came here!?'' Winter asked angrily.

''Because no one ever asked me about it!'' the raven-haired woman yelled back.

Cinder went on to open the window again. Once this was done, she quickly threw the listening device in and backed away from the window, so she wouldn't be spotted by Ruby. It didn't take long for the redhead to notice that the window was open again and she went to close it.

The WGC had backed away from the window a bit, so they could listen to what was going on inside the room in peace. However, they still had to stand on the ledge, since the signal didn't reach far. This frustrated Glynda, who was struggling not to fall.

''Honestly, why didn't you get one that had a better signal?'' the teacher asked with a growl.

''Because I'm not made of money and couldn't afford one!'' Cinder yelled back.

''Shhh! I'm trying to listen to what's going on inside!'' Winter said to her two comrades, finally shutting them up.

For a while, there were no noises coming from the radio, but after a while the WGC heard something. The sound was soft and pleasant and strangely familiar. The three women were trying their best to recognize it, when the sound started to grow in volume. They then realized that it was the sound of Ruby singing. The redhead sang so well that the WGC could only stand still and listen to her angelic voice.

''I never knew Ruby had such talents,'' Glynda whispered with a smile on her face.

''I'm going to have her replace Weiss in those publicity events dad likes to hold. Ruby is way better than her,'' Winter said almost inaudibly.

''I'll have her sing me a lullaby every night!'' Cinder said with a squeal.

The three women were enjoying Ruby's singing, when the sound of the door being kicked open cut her off and a loud voice announced the arrival of a certain blonde girl.

 _''Rubes, we're home!''_ Yang's voice cheered through the radio. _''Did you miss me?''_

''Well, it was nice while it lasted,'' Winter mumbled with disappointment in her voice and a scowl on her face. Her two comrades had similar looks on their faces, as they would have also wanted to listen to Ruby's singing more.

''That girl has the ability to ruin good things almost instantly,'' Glynda growled.

 _''Oh! You guys are finally here! I've been waiting for you!''_ Ruby said as the sound of her jumping of her bed could be heard.

 _''Awww. You were waiting for me?''_ Yang cooed. There was a sound that sounded like fabrics rubbing together, indicating that the blonde was most likely hugging the younger girl. _''No need to worry anymore, Ruby! I'm here for you again!''_

''Is that damn punk hugging MY Ruby!?'' Glynda yelled angrily. ''She better let go of her right now or I'll-!''

The teacher's threat was cut off by Winter covering her mouth with a hand. ''Shut up! None of us like it either, so just be quiet and bear with it!''

 _''Yang, she said that she had been waiting for ALL of us. Not just you,''_ Blake said with a slight growl, most likely not liking that the blonde was hugging Ruby. _''Stop being so self-centered!''_

 _''Yeah! I'm sure that she missed US just as much as she missed you!''_ Weiss snapped at Yang, before her voice turned sweet and she talked to Ruby. _''Isn't that right, Ruby?''_

''She shows her true colors for a second, before putting on her sweet and innocent mask right away. Oh yeah, that's my sister for sure,'' Winter grumbled to herself.

''Are you perhaps similar, since you're related to her?'' Cinder asked with a snicker, to which the white-haired woman responded with a quick punch to the raven-haired woman's face.

 _''By the way, why were you waiting for us, Ruby?''_ Blake asked with curiosity in her voice.

 _''Well, I kind of wanted to ask you guys something,''_ Ruby said nervously, catching the attention of her teammates and the WGC. _''I was wondering if you guys would be free on Saturday? There's a movie coming out that I really want to see and I kind of want to see it with you.''_

''A date in the movies with Ruby!?'' Glynda shrieked. ''We have to stop this!''

'''I KNOW!'' Winter yelled at the teacher. ''Would you shut up and let me listen a bit more!?''

 _''Of course we'll go see it with you!''_ Yang said cheerfully. _''When do we need to be ready?''_

 _''The Bullhead leaves around 2 PM, so it would be best if you were at the docks about ten minutes before that,''_ Ruby replied, happy that her teammates had accepted her request.

The sounds of team RWBY's members talking happily among themselves could be heard from the radio, while the WGC were looking at each other. Glynda and Cinder had panicked looks on their faces, but Winter seemed strangely calm.

''What do we do!? WHAT DO WE DO!?'' Cinder asked in a panicked voice. ''Our enemies are going on a date with Ruby! What are we supposed to do!?''

''Relax. We have nothing to worry about,'' Winter stated calmly, causing her comrades to look at her with wide eyes. ''Those three won't make it to the date.''

''What are you talking about?'' Glynda asked.

The soldier turned to look at the teacher with a smirk on her face. ''I think that certain three women are going to replace them.''

Glynda and Cinder didn't immediately realize what Winter was talking about, but soon it dawned upon them. Wide grins spread across their faces, as they understood what their comrade was talking about.

''So I'm guessing that now is the time for us to go and make plans?'' Cinder asked with slight excitement in her voice.

''Correct. We will soon show those three girls that we are not to be messed with,'' Winter said and the WGC started to make their way back.

However, as they were going back, Yang stepped on the listening device that was in her team's dorm, breaking it. This caused a sudden and loud screeching noise to come from the WGC's radio, which shocked them and hurt their ears. While Winter and Cinder were able to keep themselves on the ledge, Glynda was not so lucky and fell off. In her panic, the teacher grabbed hold of Winter and pulled her down with her. The soldier in turn grabbed Cinder and pulled her down as well. In the end, all three women fell off the ledge and hit the ground painfully.

''Glynda, next time you suggest something, make sure it's safe,'' Winter managed to say in a pained voice.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Things are slowly heating up as the WGC is preparing to make their move. The WBY won't know what hit them.**

 **I was originally going to have this chapter be longer and have the part with the three women going against their opponents included in this chapter. However, I felt that it would be better to cut off now and leave it to the next one. Hope you guys can wait for that one.**

 **I'll try to get the next chapter done as soon as possible, but it might take some time. I think it might be a big one.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	19. Attack On WBY

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 19: Attack On WBY**

It was finally Saturday, the day that team RWBY was going to go to the movies at the request of their team leader, Ruby Rose. The three older girls of the team were excitedly preparing themselves for their ''date'' with the young redhead. They were expecting a wonderful day filled with nothing but joy and love.

However, they didn't know of three people, who were also preparing themselves for the day. These three were the women of WGC and they were going to make sure that the WBY wouldn't be going on their trip with Ruby.

The three women were finishing putting on the outfits Cinder had provided them with in Glynda's office. All three of them had looks of pure determination on their faces, as they readied themselves to go against their opponents.

''Now it's time for us to go and strike back at our enemies! Let's show those brats just who they're messing with!'' Winter declared to which her two comrades nodded. The trio then left the room and then split up, so each one of them could go after their own target.

* * *

Weiss was happily humming to herself as she put on some of her most expensive perfume. She was going to impress Ruby today and show her that she was the one she should choose as a lover. The white-haired girl was so focused on her task that she didn't notice a letter being pushed under her dorm room's door. Only once she stopped doing her little preparations did she notice it.

''Huh? What's this?'' Weiss wondered as she picked up the letter. She turned it over and noticed that it had the seal of the Schnee family on it.

As soon as Weiss saw the familiar seal, nervous sweat started to fall down her face. Depending on the contents of the letter, she might be forced to cancel her date with Ruby, which was something she absolutely didn't want to do. The white-haired girl silently prayed that the letter was from either one of her siblings and not from her father. Otherwise, she was certain that her day would be ruined.

Weiss opened the letter with trembling hands and pulled it out. Although the message was short, it still managed to crush her soul. It was from her father and it asked her to come for a sudden family meeting as soon as possible. The white-haired girl looked over the text several times, hoping to find something that indicated that it was not real. She tried to mentally compare the handwriting to her father's in case it was a fake or to see some sort of a sign that showed it was one of Yang's pranks, but found none. The message was from her father and she needed to go meet him soon.

The letter fell from Weiss' trembling hands as she started to think things over. She could either go to her date with Ruby and lose inheriting the SDC or go to her father's meeting and lose her best chance at love. To say the least, she was torn up inside. Neither option seemed good.

In the end, the heiress decided to obey her father's request. She couldn't afford to lose her chance at inheriting the company, no matter what. Besides, she knew that it wouldn't have exactly been a date between her and Ruby, as her other teammates would have been there as well. Weiss only hoped that neither Blake nor Yang would be able to woo Ruby in her absence.

The white-haired girl exited her team's dorm and started to make her way to the Bullheads to see Ruby before leaving. She wanted to tell the redhead the bad news in person at the very least. As she was walking at a fast pace, Weiss was thinking how she would apologize to Ruby about the sudden change of plans.

However, the heiress was so lost in thought that she couldn't react in time when a fist suddenly came from behind a corner and punched her straight in the stomach, forcing the air out of her lungs. Before she could recover, a knee hit her in the face and then her head was grabbed and smashed against the wall, knocking her out cold. As Weiss' unconscious body slid to the floor, her attacker looked over her with a pleased smirk on her face.

''That's payback for last time, little sister,'' Winter said to her knocked out sister.

The soldier was thankful that she had decided to long ago learn how to imitate her father's handwriting. It had been useful when dealing with some of their servants, as it had been useful now. Winter could have let Weiss simply go to a meeting that didn't exist, but she didn't want to risk the girl ruining her date with Ruby, once she found out the truth.

Winter took hold of the back of Weiss' shirt and started dragging the unconscious girl along the floor. She hoped that her allies were doing as well as she was.

* * *

Blake was walking down the halls of Beacon, thinking about her upcoming date with Ruby. Her mind was conjuring up all kinds of images that pleased the faunus to no end. Her cat ears were twitching with excitement and she was even silently purring to herself at some of the thoughts that came to her mind.

Unfortunately, Blake's pleasing thoughts came to a sudden stop when she noticed something familiar next to the door of an empty classroom. It was three white claw marks, the mark of the White Fang. The cat faunus didn't know why it was there, but she knew it couldn't mean anything good. If she were to guess, there were secret White Fang members in the school and they were having a meeting in the classroom, something she would have to look into.

While Blake knew that it was her responsibility to see what the terrorist organization was planning, she was also torn between that and her love for Ruby. If she were to go and investigate this, there would be a high chance that she wouldn't able to make it to her date with the redhead. The faunus' cat ears flattened against her head and she started to let out sad mewing sounds. She was looking at the door to the classroom and the hallway that led to the Bullheads, torn between which she should choose.

In the end, Blake decided to do what was right and opened the door. She just hoped that Ruby wouldn't too upset that she didn't make it to their date. However, the girl liked heroes, right? The raven-haired girl wondered if Ruby would be impressed with her doing something like this. It might even lead to greater things in the future.

Breaking out of her thoughts, Blake looked around the classroom and saw that no one was there. This confused her, as the door clearly had the White Fang's mark next to it. The cat faunus walked deeper into the dark and empty classroom, looking around herself in the hopes of finding clues to the White Fang.

What she failed to notice was the other person in the room that had been hiding behind one of the tables, watching her every move. Blake never noticed the person in time, until a pair of arms suddenly seized her. One wrapped around her body and held her in place, while the other pressed a strangely smelling cloth over her face. The raven-haired girl could only let out muffled screams, as she tried to struggle in her attacker's hold.

After a while, Cinder emerged from the classroom with Blake's unconscious body slung over her shoulder. The woman had a smirk over her face as she quickly wiped off the White Fang mark that she had drawn next to the door.

''To catch your prey, you need the right bait,'' Cinder chuckled to herself as she carried Blake away.

* * *

Yang came out of the school's gym's dressing room, having just finished cleaning herself up and putting on her clothes. The blonde had been so excited over her date with Ruby that she felt the need to use some of her energy to calm down. The gym was the perfect place to do it and she had managed to calm her excitement down at the cost of three punching bags. Yang was now heading towards the Bullheads, where Ruby would most likely be waiting for her.

However, the blonde came to a sudden stop as she noticed something red on the floor. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was something she really liked. It was a small Ruby figure that had probably been made by the redhead's secret fan club. It's original owner must have dropped it there, but Yang would make sure that it wouldn't go to waste. The blonde happily picked it up and took it with her. She figured that as the one who will one day marry Ruby, she should be the one to own it.

Yang was about to go on her way, but she noticed something else on the floor. It was a Ruby card. She picked that up happily and soon noticed another Ruby product. The blonde looked up a bit and saw that there was a whole trail of Ruby stuff in front of her. One of those sellers in the fan club must have been transporting the goods without noticing them falling on the floor. Yang grinned widely as she saw all the free loot. Weiss and Blake would be so jealous, once they saw her bringing all this stuff.

The blonde went to collect all of the merchandise from the floor while whistling happily to herself. She couldn't help but feel that today was her lucky day, as she found all this great stuff and would have a date with Ruby later as well. Without looking around her, Yang followed the trail. She eventually came upon a door and didn't even bother looking what room it was. The brawler simply went through the door and into the women's restroom, while following the trail of Ruby stuff. The trail led Yang to one of the stalls, where it suddenly ended. Only then did she realize where she actually was.

''Hang on, why did I end up here?'' the blonde asked, wondering why the stuff led her there.

Unfortunately for Yang, she was not alone. There was someone hiding in one of the stalls, who had managed to sneak behind the blonde. In an instant, a pair of arms wrapped around Yang's neck in a sleeperhold. The brawler immediately dropped the Ruby merchandise she had been carrying and tried to fight off her attacker. However, she was quickly wrestled to the ground and she was unable to free herself. After a short while, Yang lost consciousness in her attackers arms.

''A perfect trap for an idiot,'' Glynda said with a chuckle to the unconscious blonde student.

The teacher went to gather the stuff she had laid on the floor to lure Yang there. She was glad that she had some of the Ruby merchandise some of her students had made. Not just because it helped her take down Yang, but because she also liked it all a lot. As someone who was madly in love with Ruby, it came as no surprise that she wanted some of the merchandise of the redheaded girl for herself. However, since she was a teacher, she couldn't exactly go and buy it. Thankfully her job allowed her to get it through ''confiscating'' it. A couple of other students had even bribed her with it, having figured out their teacher's secret crush.

After she had finished gathering her belongings, Glynda walked up to the knocked out Yang and picked her up. She put one arm under the girl's back and other under her knees and lifted her up like a bride. The teacher then carried her to the place she hoped her allies had taken their targets to.

* * *

''Wait, can you repeat that, please? I'm not sure I heard you correctly,'' Emerald asked Cinder.

The two of them were currently standing in Cinder's team's dorm room. Winter and Glynda were in the dorm's bathroom, changing out of their stealth uniforms and putting on their regular outfits. While seeing the two women that should be their enemies in their room was surprising enough, the real shocker to Emerald was on the floor in the middle of the room. The three members of WBY, all unconscious, tied up and gagged with duct tape. To say the least, the thief had not been expecting it.

''I want you to stay here and watch over them,'' Cinder said and pointed at the WBY. ''I don't want any of them to get loose and ruin my date with Ruby!''

''Again with that brat?'' Emerald asked with a frustrated sigh. ''Why is she so damn important?''

''I've told you already that we need the warrior with the silver eyes on our side! She will be a great ally to our cause and I will not miss my chance at making it a reality!'' the raven-haired woman said with an angry glare. Her eyes had started to glow from the rage she was feeling towards her servant. ''Also, never call her a brat again!''

The thief sweated nervously. She knew that she needed to be very careful now or she would be facing a painful punishment from her mistress.

''M-My apologies. I'll make sure it won't happen again,'' Emerald managed to say. ''But why do you need me to babysit a bunch of kidnapped students? Shouldn't we just get rid of them for good?''

''Absolutely not!'' Cinder angrily answered. ''I might not like it, but Ruby cares about those three a lot. I won't harm her through harming them, understood?''

''I thought that we were the villains. Since when did we care about stuff like that?'' the thief asked. ''Also, why does it have to be me? Couldn't Mercury or Neo do it?''

''Roman needs Neo for his robberies and I can't trust Mercury with something this important, not to mention that I have no idea where he is. That's why you're the only one that I can leave to handle this,'' the raven-haired woman explained. ''Do not fail me in this, understood?''

Emerald sighed and rolled her eyes. ''Sure. I'll make sure to babysit those three.''

The thief was about to turn around and go get a book for herself, but Cinder grabbed her shoulder, turned her around and pulled her close to her face. The villainess was so angry that embers were coming from her eyes as she glared at her servant, who paled from the glare she was getting.

''Don't give me attitude, missy. Unless you want to have a repeat of the punishment I gave you last time,'' Cinder growled.

''U-Understood, my lady! I'm deeply sorry for that!'' Emerald managed to say.

It was at that moment that Winter and Glynda came out of the bathroom, having changed back into their normal clothing.

''Everything ready over here? I think that Ruby has been waiting for too long already,'' Winter asked as she looked at Cinder.

''Yes. We are ready over here,'' the raven-haired woman answered.

''Can we really leave her here to look after these three?'' Glynda asked as she pointed at the WBY. ''I would hate it if they got free and ruined our date.''

''No worries. This is a job that even a child should be able to do. Besides, she knows what will happen if she fails,'' Cinder explained before turning to glare at Emerald. ''Isn't that right?''

The thief nodded her head while her whole body was trembling. Right after that, the WGC left the room and headed to the Bullheads to see their beloved redhead. Now that Emerald was alone in the room, she turned to look at the still unconscious WBY and let out a deep sigh.

''And to think that I joined her in order to conquer the world. She even said that great rewards would be waiting for me,'' the green-haired girl mumbled to herself. She went to grab a book and sat on her bed to read it. ''I don't understand how getting a date for her is supposed to help us conquer anything. If she wanted a date, she could have just asked me.''

* * *

Ruby Rose was standing alone near the Bullheads. She kept looking at her Scroll to check the time. Her teammates were late and the Bullhead would leave soon. The redhead was really worried that they would miss the movie at this rate. However, she was even more worried about her teammates. The three older girls had promised to be on time and yet none of them had arrived. Ruby couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

''Ms. Rose!'' a sudden and familiar called the young team leader. She looked over to where the voice came from and saw Winter walking towards her with Glynda and Cinder. ''It's been a while. How have you been?''

''I've been good,'' Ruby answered and managed to force a small smile. Her worry over the situation with her teammates made it hard for her to smile. ''Although, I'm currently waiting for my teammates. They told me that they would be here, but now they're late. I wonder what's taking them so long?''

The white-haired woman smirked. It was time to win over their target.

''Actually, we saw those three not too long ago,'' Winter said, catching the redhead's attention. ''I think that they were going somewhere else, don't know where. I can't help but feel that they're a bit tied up with other things at the moment.''

While Glynda and Cinder rolled their eyes at Winter's little joke, Ruby looked down at her feet with wide eyes. She could feel her heart break and tears fall from the corners of her eyes. The fact that her teammates had apparently decided not to come with her after their promise was bad enough, but when they hadn't even called her to tell her about their change of plans made the pain much worse. The young team leader felt like she was about to cry at any moment.

''Ms. Rose? Ruby?'' Winter called out when she noticed the girl's change in mood. ''Is everything alright?''

''Y-Yes. I-It's just that they promised to come and they haven't even called me to tell me that they're not coming,'' Ruby managed to say while trying to hold back her tears. ''I-I'll just be going now.''

The redhead was about to leave, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She turned around to see Winter giving her a sad smile while holding her shoulder.

''Actually, would you like us to accompany you?'' the soldier asked in a gentle voice. ''We haven't got anything planned and would be happy to join you.''

''R-Really?'' Ruby asked before looking at Glynda and Cinder. The other two women were staring awkwardly on the ground, not willing to look at the young redhead after their little incidents with her. ''Are you guys willing to go with me as well?''

The way Ruby asked her question caused Glynda and Cinder to look up at her. The way her voice sounded so unsure and scared broke their hearts. Once they saw the young team leader's tearful face, their hearts broke into even smaller pieces. Both women immediately rushed to the girl's side to comfort her.

''Of course we are!'' Glynda said as she gently hugged Ruby and started stroking her head to comfort her. ''I know that the last time you and I made plans for a trip to Vale things went badly, but this time things are different. Back then I was held back by... things that were out of my control, but now I'm more than willing to go with you. In fact, I want it more than anything right now.''

''The same goes for me,'' Cinder said as she placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. ''I know that I have caused a good amount of pain for you, but I swear that I'm willing to do anything to build back the friendship we once had.''

Ruby looked at the three women around her and saw that they were all smiling at her. Their faces told her that they were completely serious with their words and it made her feel a lot better.

''Thank you,'' the redhead said as she wiped her eyes. ''I'm so happy to hear that.''

''Now that we have things settled over here, how about we go to Vale to forget about our worries?'' Winter asked with a big smile. ''Did you happen to have something planned, Ms. Rose?''

''I did. I was supposed to go to the movies with my teammates and I even reserved the tickets for us,'' Ruby answered. ''You guys can take their places, but I don't know if it's the type of movie you would be interested in.''

''I'm sure it's fine,'' Glynda said with a smile. ''Besides, as long as it's with you, anything's good.''

''I think that settles it then. We're going to the movies with you,'' Cinder said and the group of four made their way to the Bullhead that would take them to Vale, where their ''date'' would begin.

* * *

After arriving in Vale, Ruby and the WGC went straight to the movie theater. The four of them were standing in line, waiting to get their tickets.

''So, what movie are we going to be seeing?'' Cinder asked Ruby.

''It's an animated movie from Mistral,'' the redhead answered as she nervously rubbed the back of her head. She wasn't sure if her company would be interested in the film that they were going to see. ''It's a tale about these two dolls that come to life in two different stores and how they try to get together. It's supposed to be funny and romantic at the same time.''

''I think that I've heard about that one. The person behind it is a famous animator, right? You seem to have good taste in movies,'' Glynda said with a smile.

Ruby was relieved by the teacher's words. It seemed like it had not been a mistake to choose the movie she wanted to see.

''Well, I've seen his previous works and I have liked them all. After I heard about this, I just knew that I had to see it,'' the redhead said.

''While you guys get the tickets, how about I get us some snacks? I won't be gone for long,'' Winter said as she headed to where they sold all the different treats.

''Y-You don't need to!'' Ruby said with wide eyes. ''All the food here costs way too much! We won't need it!''

''Please, with the money I have, this won't make even the slightest dent in my wallet,'' the soldier said with a smirk as she went on her way to get the food.

After getting their snacks and tickets, Ruby and the WGC went to the theater to watch the movie. They took their seats with Ruby sitting between Glynda and Winter, while Cinder was sitting next to the blonde teacher.

''Gosh, Winter, it was really nice of you to get us snacks,'' Ruby said with a slight blush on her face. ''I wonder if I can repay that somehow.''

''I can think of something,'' Winter said with a mischievous smirk, before pulling the redheaded girl on her lap. Ruby's face went as red as her cloak, while Glynda and Cinder looked at the white-haired woman with envy.

* * *

Back in Cinder's team's dorm, Blake was starting to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. The faunus soon noticed her still unconscious teammates and her own predicament, which caused her to start screaming. However, thanks to the tape covering her mouth, all that came out were muffled cries.

''Oh, you're awake finally,'' a somewhat familiar voice said, catching Blake's attention. She then noticed Emerald sitting on a bed with a book in her hands, staring at her with a bored look on her face. ''I know that this is a rather uncomfortable situation for you, but could you be quiet? I'm trying to read over here.''

The raven-haired girl didn't listen to the thief's request and started to scream and struggle in her bonds. Eventually, Weiss and Yang woke up too and started to do the same thing. The noise they caused might not have been enough to reach outside the room, but it was enough to annoy Emerald.

''This day keeps getting better and better, huh?'' the green-haired girl mumbled with sarcasm in her voice as she took out her Scroll and put on her headphones. She then put on some music, drowning out the noise the WBY made and went back to reading her book.

* * *

Back with Ruby, the redheaded girl and her company had finished watching their movie and were walking out of the theater. All four of them had enjoyed the movie, especially Winter, but most of her enjoyment might have come from something other than the film itself.

''I have to say, that was quite the enjoyable experience,'' the white-haired woman said with a smile. ''You know how to pick good movies, Ms. Rose.''

''I'm glad that you liked it,'' Ruby said with a slight blush on her face. ''I hope it didn't bother you that I cried a bit.''

''Believe me, you were nowhere near as bad as crybaby over here,'' Glynda said and pointed at Cinder.

''Shut up! Those dolls had feelings!'' the raven-haired woman yelled back as she wiped away her tears.

The group of four then made their way to a restaurant to grab something to eat. They sat at their table with Glynda and Ruby on one side and Winter and Cinder on the other. As soon as they got their food, Glynda offered to cut Ruby's meal and even feed it to her. Despite the redhead saying that it was unnecessary, the teacher insisted on doing it and soon broke through the girl's defense. Now it was Winter and Cinder who were looking at Glynda with envy in their eyes.

* * *

The WBY were still struggling to free themselves in Cinder's dorm. Emerald wasn't even looking at their direction as she didn't want any distractions to her reading. The thief had her back turned on the three girls, which along with her listening to music made this the perfect chance for the WBY to escape. However, no matter how much they struggled, their bonds weren't breaking. They needed something sharp to get out of them.

Blake noticed something on a nearby table. They were Emerald's knives. If she could only get her hands on them, she could cut the tape around her body. The faunus started to crawl towards the table, hoping that she could somehow get the knives.

* * *

Ruby and the WGC had finished with their meal and were now wondering what else they should do. The four of them were walking around Vale, hoping to find something fun to do. Suddenly Cinder noticed a karaoke bar and suggested it to her companions. While Winter and Glynda happily agreed, Ruby was a bit unsure about the idea. She was underage and wasn't allowed to drink, so she didn't know if she should go to a bar. Although she voiced her concerns, the WGC waved them off and took her with them to the bar regardless, saying that they would make sure to keep her safe.

While the three women had actual alcoholic drinks, Ruby had a simple lemonade. The four of them were enjoying the atmosphere around them and having pleasant small talk, until Cinder decided to go sing. The raven-haired woman also took Ruby with her, saying that she would do better with a partner. The redhead was nervously saying that she couldn't sing, but Cinder knew better, having heard the girl singing when they had been spying on her not too long ago. The villainess assured Ruby that it would be okay as long as she was calm.

Once they were on the stage, Cinder selected a slow song and the music started playing. Although still somewhat nervous, Ruby managed to sing the song perfectly. The raven-haired woman wrapped an arm around the redhead and pulled her close. The two of them sang the song while looking at each other in the eyes. The crowd around them was cheering with the exception of Winter and Glynda, who could only stare with envy.

* * *

Emerald was still reading her book, when she felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. She figured that it was either Mercury or Neo and didn't even bother turning around.

''If it's about those three girls on the floor, Cinder wanted to leave them there so she could have a date with that cloaked brat. Just try to ignore them,'' Emerald said as she continued to read her book and listen to music. Suddenly her headphones were yanked off her ears, which angered her greatly. ''What the-!?''

The rest of the thief's words died in her throat as she finally turned around. The WBY were standing there, free from their bonds and looking quite angry. Emerald could only stare at the three girls with wide eyes as she let her book fall from her hands.

''Now, we have some questions and we want answers to them right now. Understood?'' Blake asked as she glared at Emerald.

A while later, Mercury and Neo were making their way to their dorm, when the WBY suddenly walked past them in a quick pace. The three girls seemed quite furious, which caused the two criminals to step away from their path. Once the WBY were gone, the duo made it's way to the dorm.

What awaited them inside made their jaws drop.

Emerald was laying in the middle of the room with all four beds piled on top of her. She also seemed to have been beaten up quite badly, considering the bruises she was covered in.

''Do we even want to know what happened here?'' Mercury asked Neo, who shook her head.

* * *

Ruby and the WGC were walking on Beacon's courtyard. They had just returned from Vale and were almost ready to call it a day.

''Thanks for going to Vale with me,'' Ruby said to the three women with a wide smile. ''I had a lot of fun today and I hope you did as well.''

''Oh, believe me. Today was absolutely perfect,'' Winter replied with a smile. ''I wouldn't change a single thing.''

The four of them stopped walking with Ruby standing in front of the three women. She was staring down at her feet nervously and she was rocking back and forth on her heels.

''Today was really great and I owe it to all three of you,'' the redhead said while still looking down. ''I kind of wanted to repay you for it, but I'm not sure if what I had in mind is appropriate.''

''Surely it can't all that bad,'' Glynda said, interested in what her student had in mind. ''What exactly were you thinking of?''

''W-Well, I-''

''HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!'' a sudden angry voice yelled, catching the attention of Ruby and the WGC. They saw the WBY walking towards them and the three girls seemed quite furious.

''It was such a simple task. How could Emerald screw it up?'' Cinder grumbled to herself angrily.

''Just what the hell do you think you're doing with Ruby!?'' Yang yelled at the three women.

''They went to Vale with me, when you guys decided to ditch me,'' Ruby said before any of the WGC could answer. ''I see no problem with that.''

''Ditch you!? We didn't ditch you! We were going to go with you to the movies, but they prevented it!'' Blake yelled while pointing an accusing finger at the three women, causing them to start sweating nervously.

''Oh, really? And how did they do that?'' the redhead asked, not really believing her teammate.

''They knocked us out and left us tied up in Cinder's dorm room! Otherwise we would have come!'' Weiss screamed.

The WGC were trying to think of some sort of an excuse or something to explain the situation, when Ruby suddenly said, ''Do you really expect me to believe that?''

''It's the truth!'' the WBY yelled in unison.

The young team leader rolled her eyes and said, ''Guys, not only does that sound like a plot to a movie, but do you really think that I would believe that a high-ranking soldier, a teacher and one student decided to do something like that to you? I would sooner believe that pigs could fly.''

''But Ruby-!'' the three girls whined, but they were cut off by Winter stepping in front of Ruby and glaring at them.

''Actually, would you mind and let us talk with your teammates, Ms. Rose?'' the soldier asked without looking away from her rivals. ''I believe that we have some things to discuss.''

''I agree,'' Glynda said while walking up next to Winter along with Cinder.

Ruby kept glancing between her teammates and the WGC. She could feel the tension between the two sides and wanted to break it up, but was unable to think of how to do it. In the end, she let out a deep sigh and said, ''Alright. I'll see you later.''

The redhead started to walk away, but soon stopped in her tracks. She suddenly used her Semblance to and give each of the three women of the WGC a quick kiss on the cheek. The three women blushed slightly and touched the spot they had been kissed, while the WBY stared at them with looks of absolute shock on their faces.

''That's the thing I was talking about earlier. Hope you liked it,'' Ruby said while blushing furiously. She then used her Semblance to speed away.

Once the young team leader was away, all hell broke loose.

''WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY RUBY!?'' Weiss screamed at her sister. ''DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM HER!?''

''You can't just claim a person for yourself, Weiss!'' Winter yelled back. ''I know that you're the most spoiled brat in the world, but you can't get everything you want! For example, I'm going to get Ruby for myself!''

''What kind of a teacher are you!?'' Yang yelled at Glynda. ''Don't you know that it's illegal for a teacher to get together with their student!? What kind of a life are you planning to drag Ruby through!?''

''As if you're one to talk! Last time I checked, it was illegal for sisters to get together!'' Glynda shot back at the blonde girl.

''WE'RE STEPSISTERS! WE ARE NOT ACTUALLY RELATED!''

''Just who the hell are you!?'' Blake yelled at Cinder. ''I know a criminal when I see one, so keep your claws away from Ruby!''

''As if you're one to talk, ex-terrorist!'' Cinder hissed back at the faunus.

''H-How did you-!?''

''I have my ways.''

The two groups stood still, glaring at each other. There was a tense silence hanging around them with the only sound coming from them growling at each other.

''So I take it that none of you are backing down?'' Weiss asked, finally breaking the silence.

''Not even an inch,'' Winter replied. ''We all want Ruby as much as you do and are willing to fight for her. So you can either back off or get ready for a war.''

''Fine then. Challenge accepted.''

''May the best one win.''

* * *

As Ruby was walking down the hallways of Beacon, she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. It was similar to the feeling she had when the WGC had been formed.

''Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen?'' the redhead asked herself.

* * *

 **Author's notes: And the longest chapter of this story is done. The WGC is officially back in the game and the will be giving hell to their rivals. I'm really interested in how you guys liked this chapter as it's a really big one. I kind of started rushing it near the end, so that I could get it done soon. Hope that it didn't affect it too badly.**

 **That being said, they won't be in every chapter from now on. I'm most likely going to focus most chapters on the WBY, with a few chapters with their rivals here and there. Some chapters will also be focusing on certain characters as well. It depends on the ideas I get.**

 **Also, I think I will be doing one more chapter for this story and then I'm going to take a break from it. I have a new story planned that I want to start writing. Hope you guys will check it out as well.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	20. Everyone Has Secrets 2

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 20: Everyone Has Secrets 2**

As we all know, each and every one of us has secrets. Last time we saw what kind of secrets Ruby's teammates had. However, the women of WGC are no different in this case, as they also have their own secrets. It's time we took a look at them and saw what they're hiding.

Shall we get started then?

* * *

When Winter Schnee decided to abandon her position as the heiress to the SDC and joined the Atlesian military, many people thought that she was simply rebelling against her father at first. But as time went on and she rose up in the ranks, it became clear that it was about something a lot more. The white-haired woman held a strong sense of justice that she wouldn't trade for anything. It was her will to fight for what was right that had her go against her father in the first place and stay on the path that she had chosen.

One would wonder where this sense of justice came from. To answer that, you would have to look at a single small incident in her life that started it all. When Winter was still a little girl, she came across one of her servants reading a comic book in the break room. The strange and colorful cover immediately caught her attention and she secretly borrowed it for a while. The white-haired girl knew that her father wouldn't allow her to read something he thought of as ''trash'', so she had to keep it a secret from him. Once she was certain that she could read it safely, she opened it and started reading.

What she saw changed her view on the whole world.

The comic was about a young billionaire, who didn't live his life the way Winter's father wanted her to. Instead of thinking only about himself and his company, the billionaire used his wealth to fight crime and help those less fortunate than him. To say the least, the white-haired girl fell in love with the story. After that moment, Winter did all she could to get her hands on more comic books. Reading about such exciting heroes with such high morals made her want to become like them and fight the injustices of her kingdom. This led to her rebelling against her father and joining the Atlesian military.

However, what no one knew was that her love for comic books was still strong within her heart. All the way from her childhood, Winter frequently visited comic book stores and searched for them around the internet. Her collection was massive, full of all sorts of super hero comics. From old to new, from all over the world and from all sorts of different authors and publishers, the white-haired woman loved them all.

But even though Winter loved her comic books, she felt that it was necessary for her to keep them a secret. She had build herself a reputation as a powerful and strong individual. If it was found out that she liked something as childish as comic books, she was afraid that her reputation would be ruined. The white-haired woman was especially fearful of either her sister or her crush finding out about it. If Weiss found out about it, there would be no end for the teasing. And if Ruby found out about it, Winter was afraid she would lose her chances with the redhead forever.

The white-haired woman was relaxing in her room that she had managed to convince Ozpin to give her. She walked up to one of two closets that she had. While the other one was for her clothes, this one was for her comic books. Even though she wasn't able to bring her whole collection with her to Beacon, she was able to bring a large portion of it. Winter took one of her favorites from the closet and then went to sit on her bed to read it.

Now, while most of us would simply sit silently and still while reading, Winter wasn't like that. She gets easily invested in the stories she's reading, as in REALLY invested. The white-haired woman's face goes through many emotions, she mumbles at the characters and her shoulders shake in excitement. No matter how many times she reads a comic, she can always read it again with as much excitement as she had the first time. This is also one of the reasons she's been keeping her obsession a secret.

Unfortunately, it was during this moment that a certain redhead decided to pay her a surprise visit. Ruby quietly opened the door to Winter's room and walked in to see her reading a comic book with childish glee. The young team leader walked up to the white-haired woman and tried to peek over her shoulder to see what she was reading.

''What are you reading, Winter?'' Ruby asked in an innocent voice, finally catching the woman's attention.

Winter turned to look at the redheaded girl with wide eyes. She was afraid of how much Ruby had seen her acting the way she did.

''M-Ms. Rose! W-When did you get here!?'' the soldier asked.

''A couple of minutes ago, I guess,'' the redhead answered with a shrug.

Winter's body trembled as she turned her gaze to stare down at her lap. She couldn't believe that her life's biggest secret had just been revealed to the one person she didn't want to find out about it. To say the least, the white-haired woman was horrified at what had happened. She tried to desperately think of a way to save the situation.

''Oh! Is that the newest Spider-Man? I love that comic!'' Ruby suddenly exclaimed happily, breaking Winter out of her thoughts.

''Yes, it is,'' the soldier answered quietly. ''Do you like comics?''

''Absolutely! Along with the stories Yang used to read me, they're my inspiration in becoming a Huntress. I only wish I could read more of them. There are some great stories that I have heard about, but never got my hands on.''

Winter smiled as she saw a way to save the situation she was in and even get something extra along the way.

''Actually, I have quite a few with me over here, if you'd like to see them,'' the white-haired woman said, causing Ruby to look at her with excitement in her eyes. ''We could even read together. Although, I have to warn you that I get really invested in them.''

''Oh, I noticed, but I don't mind. I actually like it that you get so excited about them. It just goes to show how important they are to you and it's great that we all have things that we truly love,'' the redhead explained with a wide smile, causing Winter's heart to beat faster.

The two of them spent the rest of the day sitting close to each other, reading comic books. While Ruby was happy to find a new side in one of the people she held dear, Winter was overjoyed that she found someone to share her hobby with. The soldier felt that Ruby was truly one of a kind and she would do anything to win her over, but for now she would just enjoy the moment they were having.

* * *

If there was one problem Glynda was facing daily, it was her age. Not that she was old, it was just that people tended to think that she was older than she really was. The teacher hated this as it caused everyone around her to get the wrong image of her. It also didn't help that her job required her to act a certain way, increasing the amount of wrong thoughts about her. While Glynda might act all strict and proper on the outside, she was really a fun-loving person on the inside. People just didn't see that side of her.

The worst part was that all the talks behind her back didn't just make her look old to other people, but to herself as well. Even though she was actually still very young, Glynda couldn't help but feel old by the things people were saying about her. This eventually drove her into doing things that made her feel young. However, out of all the things that she did, there was one that she loved over them all. This had also become her biggest secret, as she feared what would happen to her reputation if someone were to find out about it.

What was this secret hobby of hers? Well, it was cosplaying. Glynda loved to put on different outfits, ranging from cute to sexy. She would not only wear the outfits, but she would also pose and perform an act in front of a mirror. This was a hobby that she took great joy from and would do it for hours when she could.

Unfortunately for the teacher, her secret would soon be found out by a redheaded surprise visitor.

Glynda was wearing one of her favorite outfits, which was an uniform for students at Beacon, when Ruby walked into her room. The young team leader didn't immediately recognize the woman, due to the outfit she was wearing.

''Excuse me, miss,'' Ruby called out, catching Glynda's attention. ''I came here to see Professor Glynda Goodwitch. Is she here?''

''M-Ms. Rose!?'' the teacher almost screamed.

''Professor Goodwitch!?'' the redhead asked with just as much shock in her voice as she finally recognized the person in the school uniform.

The two of them stood in an uncomfortable silence with Ruby staring at Glynda with wide eyes, as the blonde woman looked down on the ground with a heavy blush on her face.

''Beautiful...'' the redhead mumbled, finally breaking the silence.

''E-Excuse me?'' the teacher asked with slight hope in her voice.

''I-I'm sorry. It's just that you really look like one of the students here and also... very... pretty,'' Ruby managed to say with her face was as red as her cloak. ''I-I can leave if you want.''

''No!'' Glynda yelled, stopping her student from leaving. ''I mean, it's okay. I kind of like the idea of someone seeing this side of me. Would you like to see some of my other outfits as well?''

''Can I?'' the young team leader asked with excitement gleaming in her eyes, to which the teacher nodded. ''Yay! This is going to be great!''

For the rest of the day, Glynda went on to show her different outfits to Ruby. There were all sorts of costumes from uniforms to cute animal costumes. However, the teacher left out her more ''naughty'' outfits out of the show. She didn't want to scare the girl away or anything like that. Besides, she felt like it would be better to leave something for the time when they actually get together. For now, she just wanted to enjoy showing her costumes to the girl she loved, as the redhead clapped her hands and cheered with glee.

* * *

There were many words one could use to describe Cinder Fall, from her stunning looks to her rather ''evil'' personality. However, if there was one word that could be used to describe her, it would be confident. The raven-haired woman was practically oozing with confidence from her very being itself. Every little action she took was done in a way that told everyone that she knew what she was doing and didn't need help.

However, that was her surface. Even the most skilled and talented people have their doubts about their abilities from time to time. Cinder was no exception to this. Even though she was powerful and was in a high position of an organization determined to take over the world, she had her moments where she had lost her confidence. The raven-haired woman had found a way to get through these difficult times, but it was something she had to keep secret, no matter what.

Whenever she felt like her confidence had gone, Cinder would pull out a security blanket she had since her childhood. She would nuzzle her cheek into it, hug it and stroke it with one of her hands. The feeling of the soft and warm blanket gave her a sense of safety, which would help to build up her confidence again.

''I'm an evil genius. I'm an evil genius. I'm an evil genius,'' Cinder would mutter to herself repeatedly with a smile on her face as she kept hugging and stroking her beloved blanket. Her servants were currently away, so she could do this without having to worry about them finding out about her secret.

But like with Winter and Glynda, Ruby had decided to pay her a surprise visit. The redhead was in for a surprise herself, as she saw Cinder of all people hugging a blanket and mumbling something to herself. She decided that she needed to find out what this was about.

''Cinder, what are you doing?'' Ruby asked, causing said woman to freeze on the spot, before slowly turning to look at her.

''R-Ruby? When did you get here?'' the raven-haired woman asked.

''Just now. Why?''

Cinder wanted to cry right now. Her biggest secret that she didn't want anyone to find out had just been seen by the girl that she loved. The realization of the situation she was in caused the raven-haired woman to start shedding some tears from her eyes as her heart felt like breaking.

Suddenly, Cinder was brought out of her sad thoughts as she felt something warm wrap around her body. She soon noticed that it was Ruby, who was hugging her tightly.

''Cinder, what's wrong? Did I do something? Please, talk to me,'' the redhead whispered with some fear in her voice.

To say the least, the raven-haired woman was happily surprised by the girl's sudden act of kindness. She feared that Ruby would start laughing at her and making fun of her, but this was unexpected.

''Well... you see, Ruby... sometimes the... I don't know... life around me gets heavy and I just feel hopeless. By hugging this blanket, I'm able to escape the pressure I'm under and build up my confidence,'' Cinder answered quietly, which caused Ruby to tighten her hug.

''I.. I didn't know that you were dealing with such problems. I'm a terrible friend for not noticing that. I'm sorry, Cinder,'' the young team leader whispered and even shed a couple of tears. The raven-haired woman responded to this by hugging her back as tightly as she could.

''Oh, Ruby. You don't have to worry about anything. You couldn't have known about this, so there is no need for you to feel like that at all. I'm just happy that you understand why I'm doing this,'' Cinder whispered back, happy that the girl she loved cared about her so much.

''Still, I feel like I should do more for you as your friend,'' Ruby said, before she had an idea. ''I think I know what I need to do.''

The redhead suddenly placed Cinder's head on her lap. Before the raven-haired woman could say or do anything, she felt a hand start stroking her head in a comforting manner.

''You're a good girl. You're a good girl. You're a good girl,'' Ruby repeated to the woman that was on her lap repeatedly.

While Cinder wanted to deny her being good, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The way Ruby's hand stroked her head and her soothing voice were things that she found irresistible. There was not a thing in the world that could ever drive her away from this.

 _'Is... Is this... HEAVEN!?'_ Cinder gleefully screamed in her head as she continued to enjoy the treatment that Ruby gave her.

That night when Cinder's servants came back into the dorm, they found their mistress squirming on her bed with the biggest smile on her face, while she was repeating ''I'm a good girl'' over and over again. To say the least, the three goons were quite creeped out by the sight.

* * *

After Ruby's recent encounters with the members of the WGC, the three women were once again in Glynda's office, dressed in the stealth uniforms Cinder had given them. They were planning on how to strike at their rivals again.

''I don't know about you two, but I have recently become even more determined to win Ruby over! I shall not rest until the WBY are beaten and she is taken away from them! Are you with me!?'' Winter declared loudly.

''Absolutely! Ruby deserves someone way better than those three!'' Glynda yelled back.

''I will not back down on getting that lovely girl! You can count on me!'' Cinder yelled as well.

The three women were standing in a circle, when Winter put her hand in the middle. Soon Glynda placed her hand on top of the soldier's, followed by Cinder doing the same.

''Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Foooor RUBY!'' the WGC yelled in unison.

Outside of Glynda's office, Ozpin was walking towards the door. However, when he heard the yelling coming from inside, he stopped in his tracks. The headmaster soon turned around and walked away.

''Maybe I'll come back later. When at least some sanity has taken place over there,'' Ozpin mumbled to himself as he walked away.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Let's be honest here. We all knew that this chapter was coming, right? There was no way that I wouldn't do the same thing I did with WBY with WGC.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter. I'm taking a quick break from this as I'm going to be starting a new story next. I think I'm also planning something a bit special for this story. Not gonna tell what just yet. You're going to have to wait a while.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	21. A New Friend

**Note: Read the author's notes at the end very carefully.**

 **War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 21: A New Friend**

Ruby was in Vale, on her way to the city's biggest bookstore. The place was known for having a large selection of literature that was hard to find for many potential readers. Blake had quite often dragged her there, when the two managed to find time alone with just the two of them. However, this time the redhead was not going there to find a book, although that would be a great bonus. This time she was going there to get some time away from her teammates.

For some reason, the WBY of team RWBY had become hostile towards each other. The three older girls got into fights among each other often, with Ruby having to play the part of the referee for her teammates. The redhead often had to get a teacher to help her, which led to another displeasing discovery. Her favorite teacher, Glynda Goodwitch, wouldn't lift a finger to help breaking up the fights between the WBY. If that was not bad enough, the blonde teacher somehow managed to make the fighting worse and even joined in. Cinder and Winter had that same effect as well. Ruby didn't understand why, but somehow her teammates and the three women were not safe to have around. It was like mixing explosive chemicals together.

This kind of behavior had eventually led to Ruby having enough of her teammates.

* * *

 _Ruby was happily walking down the halls of Beacon, happily whistling to herself, when Weiss suddenly appeared in front of her. The white-haired girl had a wide smile on her face as she stared at her partner._

 _''Hey, Ruby! Would you like to go to Vale with me?'' Weiss asked excitedly._

 _The redhead was about to answer, when Blake suddenly appeared behind her and took hold of her shoulders._

 _''Ruby, let's go to the library together!'' the cat faunus said happily. ''They've got some new books there!''_

 _Before the young team leader could answer, she was pulled away from Blake and into the arms of Yang._

 _''Rubes, Rubes! They've got new games at the arcade! Let's go check them out!'' the blonde said like an excited child._

 _''Get your hands off her, you brute!'' Weiss yelled angrily and shoved Yang, which managed to free the younger girl in her arms. ''She was just about to agree to go to Vale with me!''_

 _''No she wasn't!'' Blake yelled at the heiress. ''Besides, I was about to take her to the library!''_

 _''Unlike you two, I know what Rubes likes the best, so I'm taking her to the arcade!'' Yang shouted at her two teammates._

 _While the three older girls were too busy arguing with each other, Ruby was left standing to the side, listening to her teammates bicker. While normally she would try to get between them and attempt to solve the situation in a peaceful way, this time she didn't. The redhead was tired of the WBY fighting with each other like little children and over childish things as well. Ruby was sick of being the mother of the group, keeping her noisy children in check. That's why she did the only thing she could._

 _She snapped._

 _''THAT'S ENOUGH!'' Ruby yelled at the top of her lungs, silencing her arguing teammates. ''I have had it with this! I can't stand you three acting like kids from kindergarten that are always arguing with each other! I am tired of listening to your constant bickering and having to act like a mother for you three! Do you think I like that!? How about you all do me a favor and leave. Me. ALONE!''_

 _The WBY were completely stunned by their beloved leader's sudden outburst. They could only stare with wide eyes as Ruby walked away from them._

* * *

This is what brought Ruby to where she was currently. While she knew that her teammates, especially Blake, could very well find her in the bookstore, she wanted to believe that none of them would be stupid enough to try their luck with her right now. Currently, the redhead just hoped that getting immersed into some fantasy novel would help her calm down and forget about the WBY.

''I swear, those three are going to be the death of me,'' Ruby mumbled angrily as she continued on her way. She slid her hand through her hair in an attempt at calming herself. However, once she looked at her hand, she noticed something that brought her mood down even more. ''I'm only 15 years old and I'm already starting to get gray hairs. Just wonderful...''

The young team leader finally arrived at her destination and walked inside to the store. She started to walk around, looking over all of the different books. Ruby suddenly stopped, upon noticing a certain book. It was a book that was about upgrading the weaponry of a Huntsman. However, what really got the redhead's attention was that this book was about specifically about scythes. Deciding that it would be better to get invested in working on her precious weapon instead of immersing herself in a world of fantasy, Ruby decided to buy the book.

The redhead went to grab the book, but just as her hand was about to take hold of it, someone else grabbed it.

''Oh, I'm sorry. Were you looking for this?'' a feminine voice asked. Ruby turned to look at the person who had spoken to her and saw a tall teenaged girl with long black hair and amethyst purple eyes. The girl was wearing a midriff sleeveless halter top, black pants and thick-strapped heels.

''It's okay,'' Ruby said kindly, although she was disappointed that someone took a book that she was interested in. ''I'm sure this place has more than one copy.''

''Actually, I asked them about it and they said that they only had one,'' the girl said, causing Ruby's shoulders to slump. ''I'm afraid that we're having a little problem.''

''No, no, no. You can have it, I insist,'' the redhead said as she turned around. ''I didn't come here to look for that anyway. I just needed to get my mind off some things, that's all. You probably need it more than I do.''

Ruby was about to walk away, when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She looked behind her to see the girl looking at her with a kind smile.

''How about this? I buy this and we go study it at a nearby cafe. You can take notes of things that you find interesting, okay?'' the black-haired girl suggested. ''That way, we both get to use this.''

''Sure, that sounds great! Besides, I would love to get to know a fellow scythe-user!'' Ruby answered excitedly with a big smile. ''By the way, what is your name?''

''My name's Vego. Yours?''

* * *

Back with the rest of team RWBY, the three older girls were extremely worried over their beloved team leader. There were two reason for their worry. The first one was that they had managed to anger Ruby, which they feared had ruined their chances at wooing the girl. The second reason was that they didn't know where she had gone, but she had been gone for a long time now. The girls were torn between trying to figure out a way to apologize properly to their leader and going to look for the redhead.

''Seriously, where is she!?'' Yang practically screamed as she kept pacing back and forth in the middle of their dorm. She was also biting her nails out of being nervous. ''What is she ran into the White Fang!? Or an army of Grimm!? Or aliens!? Or-''

''SHUT UP, YANG, I'M TRYING TO MAKE AN ORDER HERE!'' Weiss roared at the blonde, before going back to her Scroll. ''Hello? Yes, i would like to order about a hundred red roses and the largest chocolate cake you have. I want the cake to be covered with cookies and strawberries, and I need them all here in about an hour.''

 _''Ma'am, I don't think that is possible-''_

''NOW YOU LISTEN HERE! THIS IS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH! I NEED THOSE IN THAT TIME AND IF YOU CAN'T DO IT, I'LL GET SOMEONE WHO CAN!''

While Weiss was having her argument on her Scroll, Blake was busy going through her collection of books. She owned so many books on romance that she was certain she would find a way to properly make up to her beloved Ruby in one of them. Unfortunately, her search had been fruitless.

''No. No. NO! That's not helpful. Too cliche. Works for men, but not women. Ruby's WAY too young for THAT! No. No. Nope. That's DEFINITELY out of the question!'' the cat faunus said to herself as she went through all of her books, throwing on the floor the ones that weren't useful to her. ''ARGH! HOW COULD YOU FAIL ME NOW, MY MOST TRUSTED OF FRIENDS!?''

As the three older girls of the team were quickly losing their sanity, the team's leader walked in. The WBY immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at the redheaded girl, expecting her to still be in a bad mood. However, they were surprised to see that the younger girl was actually quite happy, as she was whistling a cheerful tune while going around the room. While glad that Ruby wasn't still mad over what happened earlier that day, the WBY were confused by what could have caused this sudden change in her mood.

''Ummm... Hi, Rubes. How you doing?'' Yang greeted carefully, still afraid that the girl she loved could possibly snap at her suddenly.

Ruby turned to look at the blonde with a wide smile and said, ''Oh, I'm doing just wonderful, Yang! Thank you for asking.''

''That's good, but what has gotten you into such a happy mood?'' Weiss asked. ''I mean, it's great and all, but last time we saw you, you were quite angry.''

''I've gotten over that already. But if you must know, something wonderful happened today, when I was in Vale.''

''What might that be?'' Blake asked, fearing the answer she was about to hear.

''I made a new friend that is a scythe-user!'' Ruby said excitedly. ''We are going to hang out together again tomorrow!''

''...Excuse us for a second, Ruby,'' the three older girls of the team said at the same time, before running out of the room. The young team leader simply shrugged at their strange behavior and went on to spend the rest of her evening in peace.

* * *

''Ladies, we face a new enemy. An enemy that we haven't yet seen, but that has already made their first attack and has gained a strong and strategical advantage. We must deal with this threat as soon as possible!'' Yang declared to her two teammates, while they were having their meeting in their ''secret base.''

''I agree. We must swiftly deal with our enemy or we might lose our precious Ruby to them!'' Weiss said to which Blake agreed.

The WBY's so-called ''base'' was actually just a large cardboard box that they were all hiding under, while using a flashlight to bring light between them. Since they couldn't use any of the classrooms or any other rooms in Beacon for their meetings, they were forced to hide in a box in a more secluded part of the school. Unfortunately for them, Beacon was a large school, which meant a large amount of people that would eventually pass by them. While most people were simply creeped out by the box and decided to walk away, this didn't apply to everyone. There were those that were curious about what went on under the box.

Such as the WGC. The three women had quickly learned that their enemies used the box to hold their secret meetings, which led to them trying to learn vital information from them. Even right now they had set a listening device next to the box, so they could listen to the conversation from the safety of Glynda's office.

''What are they saying!? Are they talking about Ruby!? What is going on!?'' Glynda frantically asked Cinder, who was listening to the WBY's conversation with a pair of headphones.

''Maybe I would find out, if a certain blonde bimbo would stop TALKING WHILE I'M TRYING TO LISTEN!'' the raven-haired woman yelled at the teacher, silencing her. She then went back to listening. ''From what I've gathered, there's apparently a new player in the mix. Someone who is trying to win over Ruby.''

''WHAT!?'' Glynda screamed at the top of her lungs. ''We need to do something! Call the police! We need to get that vile predator, who's-''

The rest of the teacher's rant was suddenly cut off by a gloved hand covering her mouth. Winter had decided that the blonde was talking too much and covered her mouth and wrestled her to the floor to keep her silent.

''Keep listening, Cinder,'' the soldier said as she struggled with Glynda. ''We need to learn more, if we are to defeat this new enemy.''

 _''Any suggestions for dealing with this?''_ Yang's voice could be heard asking through Cinder's headphones. _''I suggest a swift and powerful attack! A move that will destroy our enemy!''_

 _''That wouldn't work!''_ Weiss said back. _''Whether we like it or not, this fiend has become Ruby's friend, so attacking them would risk earning her hatred!''_

 _''I agree. I think we should follow her tomorrow, while she is hanging out with this new friend of hers, and learn about our new enemy. We might even find an opportunity to strike,''_ Blake suggested to which her teammates agreed.

''It seems like the kids are going to spy on Ruby, while she is hanging out with this new friend of hers,'' Cinder said to her allies. ''What should we do?''

''This new opponent isn't just the enemy to our enemies, but to us as well! We shall follow their example and spy on this new threat!'' Winter answered while still holding down Glynda. She had switched her hold to a sleeper hold and the teacher was slowly turning blue from the lack of oxygen. ''We shall forget about the WBY for now and focus on this new enemy.''

 _''By the way, can I ask something?''_ Blake suddenly asked. _''Could we poke a couple of holes into our base, so that we could get some air here?''_

 _''Negative. We cannot endanger our secrecy,''_ Yang answered.

''Like that would be a problem,'' Cinder said with a roll of her eyes. ''Although, it's still better than the Atlesian military's latest mech.''

''What was that?'' Winter asked with narrowed eyes.

''Nothing.''

With their meeting finished, the WBY got out from underneath the box. Before they left to plan for their next day, Weiss stopped as she noticed the WGC's listening device. While this would have normally been a problem for the three women, it wasn't like that this time. Ever since the last time their eavesdropping had resulted in rather unfortunate results, they had decided to upgrade their listening device. Not only were they able to spy on people from a safer distance, it was also disguised in such a way that people wouldn't recognize it for what it truly was.

However, it was disguised as a bug and Weiss hated bugs.

 _''Ew! Disgusting!''_ the heiress could be heard saying through Cinder's headphones, before she crushed the disguised listening device under her foot. This caused a loud screeching sound to go through the raven-haired woman's headphones, which was quite painful.

''Cinder? Are you alright?'' Winter asked as she looked at her comrade, whose eyes were as wide as possible, had a very pained expression on her face and seemed to have steam coming from her ears.

* * *

Next day, Ruby was making her way to the Bullheads, ready for a fun day with her new friend. What she didn't know was that her teammates were following her closely, while wearing disguises. Although, their disguises could have used some serious work, as they were only consisted of dark gray trench coats, fedoras and sunglasses. In other words, the most cliche disguises you could think of.

''Yang, are you sure that these outfits will work?'' Blake asked her partner. ''I'm not sure if we're exactly stealthy with these.''

''Trust me! I see these being used all the time! With these outfits, we're practically invisible!'' Yang boasted, forgetting that where she saw disguises like theirs being used was in kids' cartoons.

''Couldn't you at least have chosen something that doesn't make you feel like you're being roasted in an oven?'' Weiss asked, already covered in sweat. ''I feel like a thanksgiving turkey.''

''These have been proven to be the best through the test of time itself! We shouldn't set any substitutes for them! Now, let's go!'' Yang declared and the three girls went to follow their beloved team leader, all the while attracting looks from all around them.

However, the WBY weren't the only ones that were going to follow Ruby, as the WGC were also preparing for this. Each of the three women were wearing the stealth uniforms that Cinder had provided them with.

''Onwards, my comrades! We shall not let our enemies gain an advantage over us!'' Winter declared, before following their rivals with her two comrades, attracting the same kind of looks that the WBY got.

* * *

After a ride on a Bullhead, during which Ruby felt like she was being watched, the young redhead was in Vale. She walked about a bit and was soon at the place where she would meet her new friend. Ruby didn't need to wait for long before she heard her name being called. She turned to where the sound came and saw none other than Vego walking towards her.

Meanwhile, the WBY were watching the meeting from behind the corner of a nearby building. Upon seeing the girl that was apparently Ruby's new friend, they all came to the conclusion that they had a new enemy.

''Just as I feared, Rubes has been bewitched by some horrible girl!'' Yang said while trying to keep her anger in check. ''Poor Ruby is too innocent to know that she's being targeted by some disgusting criminal!''

''We should call the police! Have them lock her up, before she gets to damage Ruby!'' Weiss said angrily.

''We can't, Weiss. Whether we like it or not, she has become Ruby's friend. If we call the police, Ruby would defend her and in the worst case scenario, she might even begin to hate us!'' Blake said in an attempt to calm the heiress. ''Besides, we have no evidence that could get her arrested.''

''Are you saying we should let that beast do as she likes to Ruby!?'' Weiss hissed at the cat faunus.

''Certainly not! However, I am suggesting that we should do everything in our power to drive her away from Ruby!'' Blake responded to which her teammates agreed. They were about to go after their beloved team leader, when each one of them was by a hand that grabbed the back of their coats, pulling them to the ground. They turned around and saw their rivals, the WGC, standing there.

''YOU! What do you think you're doing!?'' Weiss asked angrily, before she noticed the uniforms the three women were wearing. ''And what in God's name are you wearing?''

''Hmph! If you must know, sister, we are here to save Ruby from the clutches of that vile monster over there!'' Winter said while pointing at Vego, who was happily talking with Ruby. ''And these are special stealth uniforms that our comrade, Cinder Fall, has provided us with! They are perfect for missions like this, unlike your pathetic disguises!''

''Special stealth uniforms? Those look like something you would see on waitresses at a shady club or something,'' Blake stated blankly. ''Have you guys even seen yourselves in a mirror?''

''You shut your mouth! I'll have you know that these are the very best uniforms in stealth operations and that they are almost impossible to get your hands on!'' Cinder said, defending her outfit. ''Children like you would never understand their quality!''

''I don't know. I think I've seen outfits like that before,'' Yang said thoughtfully.

''Y-You're probably imagining things,'' the criminal quickly said, fearing that the blonde girl had seen the security footage for the time she infiltrated the CCTS tower.

''What got into you?'' Glynda asked, wondering why Cinder had suddenly turned pale.

''Oh! I remember now!'' Yang suddenly exclaimed. ''Those are the uniforms that they used at that really shady club in the slums of Vale! I went there once before I got accepted at Beacon!''

To say that the WGC were shocked would be an understatement. All three women were wide-eyed and blushing madly from embarrassment.

''Y-Y-You're saying that these outfits aren't actual stealth uniforms!? They're from a club!?'' Winter asked, horrified that her so-called ''stealth uniform'' wasn't what it was supposed to be.

''Cinder, what the hell!?'' Glynda asked angrily.

''Times were tough and I needed the money!'' the raven-haired woman pleaded. ''Once it started to do badly, I got a couple of these uniforms as payment! I thought that place would have been closed by now!

''Nah. They're still open. Junior owns the place now,'' Yang stated, while her teammates snickered at their rivals.

''Seeing as how you're not even able to dress properly, I think it would be best if you leave this to us,'' Weiss said with an arrogant smirk. ''I doubt that you three could accomplish anything.''

''Don't you get cocky, you brat!'' Winter shouted back at her sister. ''We will protect Ruby, not you! So back off!''

Both groups stood still, glaring at each other with fury. After a moment, they all finally calmed down.

''Look, we all want the same thing, right? How about we work together for now?'' Blake finally suggested.

''Fine. But once this has been dealt with, it's back to business as usual, okay?'' Cinder said.

''Wouldn't want it any other way,'' the cat faunus responded.

Each member of both teams shook hands with their respective rivals. With mutual understanding reached, the six of them were ready to ''protect'' Ruby from their mutual enemy.

''By the way, does anyone know where Ruby is?'' Yang asked while looking around. It was at that moment that they all realized that they had been to focused with each other to notice the young team leader leaving with her new friend. In a panic, they went to quickly search for the two.

* * *

It didn't take long for the two teams to find Ruby. The redhead was with her friend in a small restaurant. The six of them got themselves a table that was neither too near nor too far from their target. However, it was a rather comical sight of seeing six people sitting around a rather small table, especially in their outfits.

''So, what's the plan?'' Glynda asked. ''How are we going to act?''

''Leave this to us,'' Yang answered with a grin. ''We've got something that will drive that girl away from Ruby.''

''Huh? We do?'' Blake asked.

''Sure we do! Now, come on, you two,'' the blonde said and left with her two teammates, leaving the WGC to the table.

''Do you think that they can handle this?'' Cinder asked her comrades.

''I highly doubt it, but let them try,'' Winter answered. ''If they fail, we'll solve this.''

Back with the WBY, the three girls were moving around under a large cardboard box. They were heading towards the back of the restaurant, to the kitchen.

''Yang, are you sure that we are properly hidden with this box?'' Blake asked her partner.

''Of course! Master Kojima has taught me everything I know about being stealthy!'' Yang answered with a grin.

''The box aside, what exactly are we doing?'' Weiss asked. ''Just what is this plan of yours?''

''My plan is to use this!'' the blonde said while holding up a small bottle. ''It's a powerful laxative that would make even Ozpin run to the toilet as fast as possible. We'll put some on that girl's food and we don't have to worry about her clinging to Ruby any longer!''

''A brilliant plan!'' the heiress exclaimed happily. ''That should teach that wench to put her claws on Ruby!''

The WBY made their way to the kitchen and managed to hide themselves in a corner. They noticed a table that had all the food that was ready, waiting to be delivered to the customers. Now the trio of girls only needed to find the right meal and put the laxative on it.

''Okay, these are for table 11!'' one of the cooks called out.

''That's Ruby's table!'' Yang whispered excitedly. She got out from underneath the box and walked up to the food, somehow remaining unnoticed by the staff. There were two plates that were going to Ruby's table. One had a salad and the other a brownie. ''Knowing Rubes, the brownie is for her, so the salad is for the wench.''

After dumping all of the laxative on the salad, the blonde hid under the box again. After some more sneaking, the WBY managed to sneak out of the kitchen and back to their table, where the WGC were waiting.

''Well? What did you three do?'' Winter asked impatiently.

''Just you wait. You'll see,'' Yang answered with a smirk.

It didn't take long until a waiter brought the food to Ruby's table. However, once they were set on the table, the redhead and her friend had a problem.

''Excuse me, something's wrong here,'' Ruby said. ''We didn't order these. We both had strawberry cake.''

''Is that so? I'm sorry. I'll have this checked out,'' the waiter said.

''It's okay. We're in no hurry,'' Vego said with a smile.

While the waiter took away the food, the WBY stared at the scene with wide eyes. Their plan had failed horribly.

''What's wrong with you three?'' Glynda asked. ''Did your plan fail somehow?''

''Pretty much...'' Yang answered in a depressed tone and banged her head on the table.

In another part of the restaurant, Jaune and Pyrrha were enjoying a date. They just had wrong food brought to them, but the waiter had told them that he would get the right order. It didn't take long for him to return with the right orders, a salad and a brownie.

''I don't see why you decided to go with a salad,'' Pyrrha said. ''It's not like you're in the need of a diet.''

''Pyrrha, if I want to be a proper Huntsman, I need to look after my health,'' Jaune said as he started to eat his meal. However, he soon felt his stomach rumble uncomfortably, which soon led to a rather uncomfortable situation.

* * *

After leaving the restaurant, Ruby and Vego were still being followed by both the WBY and the WGC. The two were now headed to a large book store, with their six stalkers still behind them.

''Okay, this time we'll surely-'' Yang began to say, but was soon cut off by Winter.

''Oh, no you're not! You three failed already, so it's our turn now! You wait here while we handle this!'' the soldier said before turning her attention towards her comrades. ''Let's go!''

The WGC went inside the store and observed their targets from afar. Ruby and Vego seemed to be having a good time looking through all the different books, which was something that the three didn't like. Winter looked around for a way for them to strike down their enemy and spotted something that could help them in that. There were stairs that led to the second floor of the store, and there was a large cart full of books. However, what really caught the soldier's attention was that Vego was standing right in front of the stairs. If they pushed the cart down, she would get run over with it.

''Those three brats were too childish in their plans. We shall be more decisive in our actions!'' Winter said and went to push the cart. Unfortunately for her, the cart was really heavy and wouldn't budge. ''Help me over here!''

Glynda and Cinder joined their comrade in pushing the cart and managed to make it slowly move. With much effort, they were able to push it to the edge of the stairs. One final push and the cart started to fall down the stairs.

However, the WGC had been too slow with their pushing, and Vego stepped out of the way, somehow not noticing the cart that nearly crushed her. The three women let out deep sighs of disappointment, as their plan failed.

Back at the front of the store, Jaune and Pyrrha were still continuing their date. The two of them were heading towards their next destination and were currently walking past the book store.

''Jaune, are you sure you don't want to cancel our date?'' Pyrrha asked in a concerned tone. ''After what happened back at the restaurant, I think you should go back and rest.''

''I'm okay, Pyrrha,'' Jaune answered with a smile. ''A real gentleman would never leave a lady disappointed.''

Just as the blonde knight said that, the cart of books smashed through the front door of store and hit him. Pyrrha screamed in horror at the sight of her boyfriend getting run over by the cart.

* * *

The rest of the day went on in pretty much the same way. Ruby and Vego would stop at some place, either the WBY or the WGC would try to ruin their fun by attacking the redhead's friend and it would fail horribly. In the end, they were unable to achieve anything.

''That's it. I've had it with this,'' Yang said in a frustrated voice. ''Their date is almost over, so let's just wait until Rubes is away from that wench. Then we'll just gang up on her and teach her a lesson.''

''Agreed,'' the blonde's two teammates and the WGC said at the same time.

It wasn't long until it Ruby and Vego decided to end the day. Before going their separate ways, they gave each other a hug and said their goodbyes. Ruby went towards the Bullheads, while Vego headed towards another destination, while being followed by six angry females.

After walking for a while, Vego was walking through a dark alley. However, she sensed that she was being followed and soon stopped in her tracks.

''Would you mind showing yourselves? I don't like being followed,'' the dark-haired girl said as she turned around. Soon both the WBY and the WGC came out of their hiding spots. ''Wow, I didn't know I was this popular. By the way, haven't you six been following me and Ruby for the whole day?''

''So, you knew, huh?'' Yang asked as she glared at Vego. ''However, that's not gonna save you now. We're going to make you pay for trying to take Ruby away from us!''

''What are you talking about?'' Vego asked. She then noticed the outfits the WGC were wearing. ''Also, why are you wearing the uniforms from that shady club in the slums?''

''Oh, come on! Does everyone know about that place!?'' Cinder yelled.

''Never mind that!'' Weiss quickly yelled. ''The point is that we saw you and Ruby on your little date, and we are here to make sure that you won't put your claws on her ever again!''

''Date? What are you on about?'' Vego asked, completely confused. ''That wasn't a date, we were just hanging out. That's what friends do.''

''You're lying!'' Winter yelled, not believing the dark-haired girl's words. ''What proof do you have that you're not after Ruby!?''

''How about the fact that there's no way she would be interested in me?'' Vego asked.

''How come?'' Glynda asked.

''You mean, besides me already having a girlfriend?'' the dark-haired girl asked, making the six ladies feel relieved. ''Well, there's no way that she would want to get together with me, seeing as how she's not into people like me.''

''What is that supposed to mean?'' Weiss asked.

''I'm a guy.''

There was absolute silence as the WBY and the WGC let this new information sink in. After a moment of no sound coming from anyone there, the six ladies in love with Ruby screamed one word in unison.

''WHAT!?''

''You heard me, I'm a guy,'' Vego said with a smirk. ''If you want proof, I might-''

The rest of his sentence was cut off as Yang suddenly grabbed his crotch, finding out if he was speaking the truth. There was absolute silence again, as the blonde stood there, holding Vego's privates.

''AAAAAAAH!'' Vego screamed as he stepped away from Yang.

''Wow. He wasn't kidding. He's packing some serious equipment there,'' the blonde girl said while looking at her hand.

''Yang, what the hell are you doing, you savage!?'' Weiss screamed.

''What? I wanted to see if he was speaking the truth,'' the brawler said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. She was then slapped in the face by Vego. ''WHAT THE HELL!?''

''That's my line! Who the hell gave you the permission to do that!?'' the dark-haired boy yelled.

''Alright, if that's how it is, here's the payback!'' Yang shouted and grabbed Vego's hand. She then put it on her own crotch, which earned her another slap in the face.

''Yang's idiocy aside, would you mind explaining yourself?'' Blake asked. ''What is exactly your thing?''

''It's called being gender-fluid! Ever heard of that!?'' Vego yelled back with an embarrassed blush.

''I've actually heard of that,'' Glynda said. ''People who are gender-fluid essentially feel that they don't have a set gender and switch their gender on certain days. Something like that, at least.''

''Good to see that one of you is civilized,'' Vego grumbled.

''All of that aside, mind telling us what your relationship with Ruby really is then?'' Winter asked.

''You still need me to explain that? Fine. If it gets you to calm down, then I'll do it.''

* * *

After a lengthy explanation, both the WBY and the WGC learned that Vego was truly never their enemy. He had just happened to meet Ruby at a book store and they ended befriending each other over the fact that they both used scythes. They had then decided to hang out a bit more, before he had to leave back to Mistral.

With their minds at ease, both trios were on their way back to Beacon. They were heading towards the Bullheads with smiles on their faces.

''Today was quite a day, huh?'' Weiss asked.

''Yeah. Not exactly something you'd expect to go through,'' Winter answered.

''Still, it's good that it all ended well,'' Yang stated.

''It sure is,'' Glynda agreed. She was silent for a moment, before she suddenly remembered something. ''Oh, crap!''

''What's the matter?'' Cinder asked as she and the others stopped to stare at the teacher.

''It's already past 10 PM! The Bullheads won't be moving anymore, so we don't have a way back to Beacon!'' Glynda explained.

''No worries! We just have to spend the night here and go back tomorrow,'' Yang said with a smile. She then remembered that she didn't have any money on her and turned towards her partner. ''Did you bring your wallet, Blake?''

''No,'' the cat faunus answered and turned to look at her white-haired teammate. ''How about you, Weiss?''

''Don't look at me. I don't carry money on me all the time,'' the heiress answered and turned to look at the WGC. ''How about you three?''

''These outfits don't exactly have pockets on them,'' Winter answered. It was at that moment that all six of them realized their situation.

''WE'RE STUCK SLEEPING ON THE STREETS!''

* * *

Back in team RWBY's dorm, Ruby was wondering where her teammates were.

''Strange. Usually they would be back by now,'' the redhead said. She then laid down on her bed and got ready to sleep. ''Although, it's nice to have some peace and quiet around here for once.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: This was a request from Blackace70 and Vego is his OC. Hope it was to your satisfaction.**

 **Anyways, this brings me to the big thing I've been preparing for now. Essentially, you can now request chapters for this story. Send me a PM and I'll be in contact with you. However, keep in mind that not only is it possible that it will take a long time until I fulfill your request, I might not end up doing it for a number of different reasons. I might already have plans for a similar chapter or I just don't feel comfortable with the idea. To put it in perspective, try imagining hitting a golf ball into a shot glass that's miles away from you, which is also tied to the back of a cheetah that's running around wildly after drinking six cans of energy drinks. Not exactly the best chances, right?**

 **I want to make one thing clear right here. No content that would make this M-rated will be accepted. In other words, no explicit violence or lemons.**

 **I do want to make it clear that I can't possibly put all my time and energy on this story alone. Not only do I want to write other things, but I also have a job and other stuff I'm working on. If you're not getting your request done, it's not because I have any dislike towards you, it's because I have other things to do. I care about you all and I want to give you as much as possible, but I'm limited in that.**

 **PM me for any further info. With that, I hope you liked this chapter. Also, my deepest apologies if I got anything wrong about gender-fluid people. I don't mean to offend anyone.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	22. Dreams Of Heroism

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 22: Dreams Of Heroism**

When it came down to the WBY of team RWBY, they shared one clear desire, which was to be with Ruby. This obsession of theirs had led to many different hijinks that we are familiar with. Naturally, due to their infatuation with their team leader, the three older girls would also fantasize about the redhead. One of these fantasies involved them being heroes that rescued Ruby. This was because the young team leader was fascinated with heroes, so this obviously led to this fantasy.

How about we take a look at what the WBY's dreams are like?

* * *

Weiss finished putting on her armor and got on her white horse. She rode as fast as the wind towards her destination, the castle Beacon, where the beautiful Princess Ruby was being held. The white-haired knight had long promised to rescue her and marry her, but there was one problem. The castle was being guarded by two monsters, who were holding the princess as their captive. Regardless, Weiss was more than ready to face her opponents, for nothing would stop her from getting her beloved Ruby.

Finally arriving at her destination, the knight got off her horse and readied herself for battle. She pulled out her sword and started to make her way towards the castle's entrance, until something stopped her in her tracks. Looking behind her, Weiss saw that it was her horse that was holding on the back of her outfit with it's mouth.

''It's okay, Klein,'' the knight gently whispered to the horse, making it let go of her. ''I'll be back soon.''

Weiss continued on her way and entered the castle. The whole place was dark and dirty. It looked like no one had lived there for years. The white-haired girl still advanced carefully, knowing fully well that enemies were waiting for her.

Hearing a sudden noise behind her, Weiss quickly jumped to the side, barely avoiding sharp claws that almost cut her in half. The knight took her stance and readied herself, turning towards her opponent. Her eyes narrowed upon seeing the monster in front of her, a large black panther with golden eyes and large, sharp claws.

''So, the cat comes out to play?'' Weiss said. ''Well, let's play then.''

The panther seemed to give an expression that looked like a smirk, before turning away and running deeper into the castle. Weiss followed after the beast, knowing that she would need to defeat it, if she were succeed in rescuing Princess Ruby.

Following after the panther eventually led the knight down a large hallway. The beast went down the hall to a large room and turned to the side, revealing the head of a large, golden dragon, which was the other monster guarding the castle. Weiss barely had the time to bring up her shield to block the large flame that came out of the dragon's mouth. Once the flames stopped coming, the white-haired knight got up and quickly made her way to the room and hid behind a column.

Weiss looked around and saw what kind of a room she was in. It was a large round room, with the dragon in the middle. The room was surrounded by large columns, providing Weiss some sort of protection from the dragon's fire, but not for long. The panther was also prowling along these columns, ready to attack the lone knight. She readied herself for an attack and gripped her sword tightly.

The panther lunged at Weiss, making her block an attack with her shield. The large feline quickly jumped away, letting the dragon shoot fire at the knight. Weiss was once again able to use her shield to protect herself. While blocking the fire, she noticed something hanging over the golden beast. A large chandelier. Weiss smirked and threw her sword at the chain it was hanging from, causing it to fall down on the dragon's head.

The mighty beast started panicking, shooting fire all around it. One of the flames caught the panther, burning away all of it's fur and leaving behind a hairless, large cat. The feline ran away in shame of it's appearance.

Now that the dragon was the only one remaining, Weiss was able to defeat it easily. The chandelier was blocking it's sight, so the knight only needed to call for it and dodge out of the way, when it charged towards her. This caused the dragon to smash it's head on the wall, knocking it out cold.

With both of her opponents defeated, Weiss was finally able to go see her beloved Princess Ruby. She made her way up to the tallest tower of the castle, and found the redheaded sleeping on a bed. The knight walked up to the princess and leaned forward, kissing her on the lips. This woke up Ruby, who opened her silver eyes and immediately smiled upon seeing Weiss.

''I've come for you, my princess,'' the knight whispered gently and leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

Back in the real world, Weiss was making kissing noises while sleeping. She was also mumbling about her sweet princess. All of this was heard by Ruby, who was getting creeped out by it.

* * *

Blake was making her way from roof to roof. She was heading towards a large castle, where the lord that ruled over the area lived. That lord was Ruby Rose, the only person Blake had ever sworn not only her loyalty, but also her eternal love. The cat faunus had served Ruby as a ninja for her entire life. A ninja of love in a way. Blake would do anything for the one she loved and had sworn to be loyal to.

However, the lord was in trouble. Two of her servants had betrayed her and were attempting to take over the area Ruby ruled over. Weiss Schnee, a minor lord serving under Ruby, and Yang Xiao Long, a general and skilled swordswoman. These two were going to take Ruby prisoner and then rule over her lands. What especially disturbed Blake was the idea of what the two traitors would do to the young lord. Since they were going to keep her alive, the cat faunus could only imagine what horrors they had planned for her beloved lord. Blake had even heard that both Weiss and Yang had tried to convince Ruby to marry them, but were turned down immediately. It seemed like they were determined to get what they wanted.

Blake wouldn't let that happen. She would protect Ruby, even if it cost her life.

The young ninja finally arrived at a secluded spot near the castle. There were other ninjas waiting for her there, all from the same clan as her. Blake landed in the middle of the group and looked around. Everyone she had called for was there.

''Tonight, we are going to strike down two traitors that have the nerve to betray our lord!'' Blake said to all of the ninjas present. ''Lord Weiss Schnee and General Yang Xiao Long have dishonored themselves and plan to take over our lands by taking Lord Ruby Rose prisoner! We cannot let that happen! We must stop these two and make sure that our lord remains safe, no matter what!''

''Understood, sir!'' all the ninja around the cat faunus said in unison.

''Sun, take your unit and secure the lower parts of the castle! Kali and Ghira, you handle the middle parts! The rest of you will take the higher parts, but leave our lord's room to me! I know those filthy, traitorous dogs are there, so I'll handle them!'' Blake ordered and her ninjas left to fulfill their orders.

The cat faunus started to move towards her destination, the top of the castle where her lord's room was. As she moved up, her trained ears could hear the sound of her ninjas taking out the samurais that sided with the traitors. A smirk made it's way to her face, as Blake couldn't help but feel proud of her people. They would show the power of loyal servants.

Blake finally made it to where Lord Ruby's room was. She silently got on the balcony and sneaked up to the door. The cat faunus opened it just enough so that she could see inside, and what she saw made her blood boil from rage. The two traitors, Weiss and Yang, were there with Ruby. Weiss was wearing an expensive kimono and holding a cup of sake, while looking over the lord she used to serve with an arrogant smirk. Yang was wearing a yellow samurai armor and was tying up Ruby. The redhead had apparently been caught while sleeping, as she was wearing her sleepwear. Despite her peril, Ruby was glaring at the traitors and not showing any signs of fear.

''You really only have yourself to blame for this, _my lord_ ,'' Weiss said in a condescending tone as she took a sip from her cup. ''You should have decided to marry me. Then you would have only given me the position I wanted without having me take it by force. Although, I suppose it's better this way. Now I don't have to share anything with you.''

''Hate to say this, but I agree with her. You can only blame yourself for this,'' Yang said with a grin as she looked over her captive. ''If nothing else, you should have gotten together with me. That way whitey over there wouldn't have gotten enough forces to back her up in this. Even if she did, I would have stopped them. But I guess I'm getting what I want in the end.''

''Neither of you wanted me for anything else but selfish desires!'' Ruby yelled at the traitors. ''One of you simply wanted power, while the other one wanted my body! Besides, I already have someone that truly loves me and she will make you pay for this!''

''Oh? Will she now? I would really like to see her try,'' the white-haired woman said with a raised eyebrow, not threatened by her former master's words in the least.

''Ha! She can come anytime she wants! I'll end her with a single strike from my sword!'' the blonde said arrogantly. ''However, before that happens, I'm going to take my time enjoying you. I've made many ladies scream my name and I can't wait to hear you scream like they did.''

Blake had heard enough. She drew her katana and kicked down the door, surprising the people in the room. Upon seeing her beloved servant, Ruby smiled widely and tears of joy fell from her eyes. She now knew that she would be saved.

''BLAKE!'' the redheaded lord yelled happily.

''Do not worry, my lord. You will be freed once I have dealt with this trash,'' Blake said with a growl as she looked at her enemies.

''Don't get so full of yourself!'' Yang shouted angrily as she took out her sword and got ready for a fight. ''I'm the strongest swordsmaster in these lands! Picking a fight with me will be the worst and last mistake of your miserable life!''

The blonde samurai charged towards Blake with her sword held up high. She tried to cut down the ninja, but she was too quick for her and dodged the attack. Before Yang could attack again, Blake threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared.

''What the hell!? Are you running away!? I thought you were supposed to save your master!'' Yang yelled as she looked around the room.

''That is exactly what I'm doing,'' Blake's voice could be heard saying from around the room. ''I know that I couldn't beat you in a straight fight, but that is not the way a ninja fights. I will show you the true skill of a master of my art.''

Yang kept looking around the room for any signs of her opponent. She heard the slightest creak of the floorboards right behind her and turned around just in time to get hit in the face by the back of Blake's sword. The blow was so hard that it knocked her to the floor and unconscious. With the samurai out of the fight, the cat faunus turned her attention to Weiss, who was staring at her with a shocked expression.

''N-Now wait a minute! Let's not get hasty, okay? I can get you anything you want! All you have to do is-''

The rest of the white-haired woman's pleas were cut off as Blake swung her sword at her, cutting the ribbon that held her kimono. This caused Weiss' kimono to open up, revealing her undergarments. The white-haired woman's face turned red from embarrassment.

''Unlike you, my loyalty can't be bought,'' Blake said angrily at her enemy.

The ninja proceeded to free her beloved lord. During this, the two traitors were arrested by her ninjas and the samurai that were loyal to their lord. Ruby was about to thank her beloved ninja, but soon found that she was missing. The redheaded lord looked all around the room and found no sign of Blake. She then ran to the balcony, hoping to catch at least a glimpse of her savior, but found the balcony empty. Just as Ruby was about to give up on finding her savior, a pair of strong arms pulled her into a tight hug from behind.

''No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, my lord,'' Blake whispered to Ruby. ''After all, I am your ninja of love.''

* * *

Outside of the land of dreams, Ruby had just been able to start ignoring Weiss' noises, when she suddenly heard Blake starting to purr very loudly. The redhead looked at her sleeping faunus teammate and saw her swing her arms around, like a cat that was trying to hit something with it's paws. Ruby didn't know why, but for some reason both Weiss' kissing sounds and Blake's purring disturbed her, which prevented her from falling asleep.

* * *

Yang was speeding om her motorbike through the desert. The sun was shining brightly in the sky and the heat was enough to kill a man. The blonde didn't care. She only cared about going forward and nature itself wouldn't stop her.

Suddenly, a bar came into Yang's view. She decided to stop there for some drinks and maybe even some fun. As she stopped her bike, the blonde biker noticed that there were several motorbikes parked nearby. There were also a couple of black cars, like the ones used by the mafia. It looked like some organized crime group and a biker gang had decided to stop by the bar as well.

However, Yang couldn't care. She wasn't afraid of anybody. If she wanted to have a drink, she would have a drink.

As she was walking towards the entrance, a young blonde man ran out of door. Yang recognized him as Jaune Arc, a wannabe-biker, who was also a complete coward. Whatever was in the bar had apparently scared Jaune badly, as he had wet himself and he was also completely pale.

''D-D-DON'T GO IN THERE, Y-Y-Y-YANG!'' the blonde man screamed as he ran over to the said woman. ''The Schnee Mafia crime family and the Black Hellcats biker gang are having a meeting there! They're all completely insane and brutal monsters! You wouldn't stand a chance against them!''

''Out of my way, loser,'' Yang said as she pushed Jaune to the side. ''I go where I want to I want to go and nobody stops me from that. If you can't handle the heat, just get on your tricycle and get out of here.''

Jaune did as he was told and rode away from the bar on his pink tricycle. Yang could only sigh at how lame he was, before walking up to the bar and going in.

Once she got inside, the blonde biker saw what had scared Jaune. Besides the people from the Schnee Mafia and the Black Hellcats, there were no other customers in the bar. Said groups had about a dozen members there each and they were all armed and seemed to be rather tough.

However, there were two people that Yang recognized. One was Weiss Schnee, the next in line to lead the Schnee Mafia. She was dressed in a white business suit and was sitting on a table with the other person Yang recognized. This one was Blake Belladonna, the leader of the Black Hellcats gang. The cat faunus was dressed in a black biker jacket with her gang's logo on the back, black gloves, tight blue jeans and black boots. She also had a sword strapped to her back.

While these two individuals were certainly very dangerous, the blonde biker didn't care. She wasn't interested in any business with them and was there only for a drink. Yang simply walked past the two groups and to a table that was away from them. She sat down and waited for someone to come take her order. As she waited, the blonde could hear Weiss and Blake talking about an alliance against a common enemy of theirs, but paid no attention to it. She wasn't interested in any groups. She just wanted to travel her own road.

''Can I take your order, miss?'' a young girl's voice said, catching Yang's attention. She looked up and her eyes went wide. There was a young waitress there with short black hair that had red tips. What really caught the biker's attention were the girl's eyes, which were silver.

''Strawberry sunrise. No ice,'' Yang said with a small grin. ''However, before my drink, can I get your name, cutie?''

The waitress blushed a deep red and answered, ''M-My name's Ruby. P-Pleased to meet you. I'll be back later with your order.''

The blonde biker watched as Ruby walked away to take the orders of the other people in the bar. As she was walking, Yang kept her eyes on the young girl's rear. She couldn't help but smile. It seemed like it had been a good idea to come to this bar.

However, the blonde's good mood was suddenly ruined when she saw how Blake slapped Ruby's butt rather hard and gave some lewd comments about her body, causing the girl to run away in tears. While she was no knight in shining armor, Yang didn't like to see a girl like Ruby get treated like that. It pissed her off to no end.

After a while of waiting, the young waitress came back with the blonde's drink. Her previous cheery attitude was gone and she also seemed to be a little scared. Judging by the tray with two more drinks on it, Yang guessed that Ruby wasn't exactly looking forward to delivering Weiss' and Blake's orders. The biker decided to try and lighten up the girl's mood a bit.

''Hey, after you're done here, why don't you come and have some fun with me? I'm certain that it would be more entertaining than serving people like them,'' Yang offered with a smile.

''I-I'm not sure,'' Ruby answered with a blush on her face. ''I-I have to go now. I'll talk to you later, okay?''

The blonde gave a nod to the redhead who went on to continue her job. While she was disappointed that Ruby didn't accept her offer, Yang still held hope that she could turn this day into something great for the both of them.

However, as the blonde was enjoying her drink, a sudden scream caught her attention. She looked behind her to see something that truly enraged her. Weiss holding Ruby down on the table, while Blake was on top of the redheaded waitress. Their goons were all laughing and cheering for their bosses, as they were having their fun with Ruby.

''No need to scream, little red,'' Blake said with lust in her voice. ''I'm sure that you'll enjoy this as much as I will.''

''Too bad I lost our game of rock-paper-scissors. I'm not getting the first taste.'' Weiss said with a smirk. ''Oh well, I think I can manage with being the second one to get a taste.''

''NO! LET ME GO! HELP!'' Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs.

''HEY!'' Yang yelled, catching the attention of everyone in the bar. She had stood up from her seat and was glaring at Weiss and Blake. ''Didn't you hear the lady? She told you to let her go.''

''You just made the biggest mistake of your life, blondie,'' Blake said with a glare. ''You see, I'm quite the romantic and I know that the mood is important. You just ruined the mood and that will cost you,'' the cat faunus explained, before turning to her goons. ''Go and take care of her.''

Blake's thugs pulled out all sorts of weapons, such as knives, chains and other melee weapons, and went to fulfill their boss' order. As they walked past her, the cat faunus turned her attention back to Ruby, thinking that she would be able to continue in peace. But once one of her goons flew over her and into a nearby table, she had to turn her attention back to Yang.

The sight Blake saw made her blood run cold.

Yang was easily beating all of the bikers. She punched, kicked and threw them around like ragdolls. The bikers flew all around the place and smashed into the walls and furniture. The blonde was soon done beating them and turned to glare at Blake again.

''Let her go. Now,'' Yang commanded.

''Guess I have to take care of this,'' Weiss said with a sigh and snapped her fingers, catching the attention of her thugs. ''Get rid of her.''

The people working for Weiss pulled out guns and were about to aim at Yang, but they were all suddenly shot before even one of them could fire their guns. The white-haired crime lord stared at the blonde biker with wide and shocked eyes. Yang was holding two large, golden handguns.

''These here are my babies, the Ember Celica,'' the blonde said before putting the guns back to their holsters. ''But I don't need them on people like you. Give me your best shot.''

''Why you-!'' Blake yelled as she ran towards Yang and pulled out her sword. She was about to strike down at the blonde, but she suddenly received a powerful punch to the chest, which sent her to the floor and knocked her out.

As soon as her ally had been knocked out cold, Weiss stood up with her hands held high as a sign of her surrendering. The white-haired crime lord started pleading for her life.

''N-Now let's not get hasty! Let's be reasonable, okay?'' Weiss pleaded with fear in her voice. ''I can get you anything you want! Think about it! All the money you could ever want! What do you think?''

Yang simply walked up to Weiss and lifted her up from the front of her shirt. The white-haired woman was sweating and tears were falling from her eyes out of fear. The blonde simply stared at her with a smirk on her face.

''I think there are some things more important than any amount of money,'' Yang said and held up her fist. ''This is one of them.''

The biker punched the crime lord with all of her might, sending her flying straight to a wall. With her enemies defeated, Yang walked up to Ruby, who was sitting on the table she had been held on just a moment ago. The redheaded waitress was staring at the blonde with wide eyes and she was slightly trembling from fear.

''You okay, baby?'' Yang asked Ruby in a gentle voice. ''Hope those punks didn't hurt you too badly.''

''N-No... I'm fine,'' the redhead answered in a quiet voice.

''Good. How about I take you with me out of this place and somewhere more fun?'' the blonde asked with a smile.

Once Ruby nodded, Yang picked the girl up bridal style and started to carry her out of the bar. While she was walking out, the biker took a small bomb out of her pocket and dropped it on the floor. Once Yang was riding away from the bar with Ruby at a safe distance, the bomb exploded, taking down the whole place. The two women rode off into the sunset with the flames from the ruins glowing behind them.

* * *

Ruby had just been about to fall asleep again, but then Yang started to make noises as well. The blonde held up her arms like she was holding the handles on a motorbike, and she was making the engine noises with her mouth.

The combined noise from Weiss' kissing, Blake's purring and Yang's vroom sounds made it impossible for their team leader to fall asleep. For some reason, the way her teammates made those sounds freaked her out. Ruby was going to have a long night ahead of her.

* * *

Few days after the whole incident with the WBY's dreams, the three older girls of the team were called to Ozpin's office. The three girls weren't exactly happy to go see the headmaster, as they had been busy looking for Ruby. The young team leader had been missing for the whole day and her teammates had become very worried. They were afraid of what might have happened to the young redhead.

Once they entered Ozpin's office, the WBY saw the headmaster sitting behind his desk with a rather grim look on his face. Whatever he wanted to talk about with his students, it was not something that he liked.

''I am glad that you three could come here,'' Ozpin said to the three girls. ''I have something very important to tell you.''

''Forgive my rudeness, Headmaster, but is it really important?'' Weiss said with impatience in her voice. ''I'm afraid that we are rather busy right now. Our leader has gone missing and we need to find her.''

''That is exactly why I called you here,'' the headmaster said, gaining the complete attention of the WBY. ''About two hours ago, we received a message from Ms. Rose, saying that she was following a couple members of the White Fang. However, we have since been unable to contact her. We fear that she might have been captured.''

At first the hearts of the three girls were filled with fear and worry over their beloved team leader, but it was soon replaced with excitement. This was due to them remembering the dreams they had not too long ago. The three girls knew that Ruby loved heroes and it seemed like they would get their chance to become the redhead's personal hero and maybe something more in the future.

''What was her last known location?'' the WBY asked in unison, already imagining themselves rescuing Ruby.

* * *

Roman Torchwick was having one of the best days of his life. His latest operation of stealing Dust had gone perfectly, his lackeys had been able to capture the redheaded Huntress that had been a thorn in his side for some time now and he was currently enjoying a cone of orange-flavored ice cream, his favorite. To say the least, he was one happy thief at the moment.

''I'll say, Neo, that hard, illegal work pays off in the end!'' Roman said happily to his mute partner, who was enjoying her own ice cream, three balls of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. ''It is people like us that truly deserve to enjoy the fruits of our labor! I can't think of one thing that could make this day any better!''

However, as soon as he said that, a large explosion shook the building they were in. This caused Roman's ball of ice cream to fall to the floor. The thief could only stare down at his ruined treat with wide and sad eyes. Suddenly his Scroll rang and he picked it up without looking away from his ice cream. One of the White Fang goons that had been put under his command was on the other end of the call and he sounded quite panicked.

 _''Sir, three Huntresses suddenly came through the front door and are beating all of us! We can't hold on much longer and need- AAAH!''_ the faunus on the other side managed to say before the call was suddenly cut off.

Roman put away his Scroll and let out a deep sigh. He then looked up at Neo with pure fury in his eyes and said, ''Of course there had to be something that would ruin this day! I just want things go well for me once! ONCE! IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!? I can't even enjoy a simple ice cream!''

Neo didn't respond back at her boss. She was too busy crying over her own ice cream, which had also dropped on the floor.

''Oh, stop whining!'' Roman said at the multicolored girl. ''I'm the one who should be doing that! Not only did I lose my ice cream, I'm going to lose all the Dust we stole and my ass will be in danger once Cinder hears of this! I can only hope that we can at least beat whoever those intruders are, so we can leave this place with some dignity and pride!''

Meanwhile, the WBY were fighting their way through all of the White Fang members under Roman's control. Things were going very well for the three girls, as they had been able to beat all of their opponents without any trouble.

It didn't take long until they were facing Roman and Neo. The two criminals had decided to go and defeat the Huntresses themselves, seeing as they couldn't trust their lackeys to handle the job. Both sides glared at each other with furious eyes as they stood still.

''I should have known that the redheaded brat's teammates would be the ones causing a mess! It's always you four!'' Roman yelled accusingly. ''Why is it that you four can't just leave me alone!?''

''Quit your whining, Torchwick!'' Yang shouted. ''Where's Ruby!? You better not have harmed her or I'll feed your cane and your hat to you through your nostrils!''

''DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY HAT!'' the thief practically screamed and covered said piece of clothing with his hands, which earned him a blank stare from Neo. ''Red is in a room, in the back. But you'll have to get through ME to get to her!''

The WBY were relieved to hear that Ruby was apparently alright. Soon after that, all three girls suddenly had the same idea, which caused them all to smirk.

''You two deal with Roman and his goon, while I'll go get Ruby,'' all three girls said at the same time, having gotten the same idea. They then turned to glare at each other.

''Now you two listen here!'' Weiss yelled at her teammates. ''I'm Ruby's partner, so I'll be the one to rescue her!''

''Fat chance, _princess_!'' Blake shot back at the heiress. ''I'm the most qualified to save Ruby! My skills are best suited for it!''

''In your dreams, tuna-breath!'' Yang shouted at her partner. ''I'm the one who has protected Ruby the longest, so the duty falls to me!''

While the three girls were arguing with each other, Roman and Neo were staring at them with wide eyes. The two criminals couldn't understand why the trio of Huntresses were fighting among themselves. Not to mention, it honestly hurt Torchwick's pride that his enemies were ignoring him in order to argue with each other. It made him feel insulted.

''WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?'' the thief yelled at the top of his lungs. ''I can take having a bunch of kids coming in and ruining my plans since it comes with the job, BUT GETTING IGNORED AS WELL!? How dare they just start fighting someone other than me!? To make matters worse, it's themselves they're fighting! What does an honest thief need to do to get the attention he deserves!?''

The WBY seemed to ignore Roman's rant as they simply continued arguing with each other. Seeing how his enemies were still ignoring him, Roman's anger left and was replaced with depression.

''Hello? Any of you three going to try and take me down for my crimes?'' Roman called out to the young Huntresses.

''Excuse me, we're trying to have a moment here!'' the WBY yelled at the thief in unison before going back to arguing.

Roman let his head hang low from depression and he mumbled sadly, ''I just want one thing to go right today. Is that too much to ask?''

 _''Would it help if I put on a cape and beat you up?''_ Neo asked her boss with a sign she pulled out of nowhere.

''It just wouldn't be the same...'' the thief said in a depressed tone. He then called two of his remaining White Fang goons over and said, ''You guys stay here and handle them, okay? Neo and I need to go and cry a bit.''

With his orders given, Roman and Neo left their hideout to go somewhere else. The remaining White Fang goons stayed there and watched as the WBY had stopped simply arguing and were actually fighting now. To say the least, the two faunus men were enjoying the show.

''I don't know what Torchwick's problem is,'' one of the two White Fang grunts said with a perverted smile as he watched the WBY fight each other. ''I mean, normally you need internet for this!''

''Yeah, there's nothing better than watching girls fighting each other!'' the other White Fang grunt cheered.

''If you like that so much, then I'm sure you'll love this!'' a sudden voice said behind the two men, causing them to turn around. As soon as they had turned around, they were hit in the face with the back of a large scythe, wielded by none other than Ruby Rose.

While Roman and his crew had been distracted with the WBY, the young team leader had managed to escape the room she had been locked in. Even if she had been unable to come and prevent Roman from escaping, she was still able to witness her teammates' fight. To say that Ruby was displeased would be an understatement.

After clearing her throat rather loudly, the redhead was able to get the attention of her teammates. Once the three older girls were looking at their team leader, fear washed over them as they saw how angry the younger girl was.

''Would you three mind explaining just what you're doing?'' Ruby asked as she glared at her teammates.

The WBY's dreams of heroism were crushed and replaced with the nightmare of one very angry redhead.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I've had a lot of work on my hands lately, so I wasn't able to get back into this story for some time now. Hope it was worth the wait.**

 **I kind of wanted each of the WBY's dreams to be a different setting. Weiss' was a typical fairy tale, Blake had a ninja setting and Yang had sort of a cheesy action movie setting. I kind of started rushing things a bit, so I hope it didn't affect the quality too badly.**

 **If you have a suggestion for this story, send me a PM and I'll look into it.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	23. The Fall Maiden

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 23: The Fall Maiden**

Cinder Fall was pacing back and forth in her dorm. The villainess had a frown of absolute rage on her face and she was grinding her teeth together. The reason for her current behavior was from a report she had received not too long ago, which told her how Roman Torchwick's latest Dust operation had failed due to the interference from team RWBY.

However, while most people would think that Cinder's anger came from Roman's failure, it was actually the least of her concerns. The real reasons behind her bad mood came from two things in the report. The first one was the part that mentioned her beloved Ruby Rose being captured by Roman. Cinder might be a villainess, but she didn't want any harm to come to the one she loved. Once she read about what Roman had done, the raven-haired woman had almost stormed out of her dorm to go hunt the thief and turn him into ash.

The second thing in the report was the one that angered her the most. It was the part that told about the WBY rescuing their team leader. This one angered Cinder to no end as she saw her hated rivals getting ahead of her in the scoreboard of Ruby's love. The raven-haired woman liked to keep a personal point system where she counted her and each of her rivals' different acts and advantages that got them closer to Ruby. While she personally believed that her beautiful looks and charisma kept her above her rivals, it was this act of heroism from the WBY that she felt pushed her down in the rankings.

Had she known how the WBY's ''rescue operation'' actually ended, Cinder might not have felt so threatened by it. Unfortunately for her, all she could do was imagine her rivals saving Ruby like heroes from a fairy tale and it angered her to no end. She needed to find a way to get ahead of her enemies or she would be left in the dust.

''Mistress, Torchwick's calling you again,'' Emerald said while holding her Scroll in her hand with the thief on the other end of the call. ''He's asking if there's any possible way for him to make up for his latest blunder.''

''Tell him that if he calls me one more time, I'll use his cane to turn him into a popsicle!'' Cinder yelled furiously with sparks coming from her eyes, scaring the green-haired girl. ''Now be quiet! I need to think and I need silence for-''

A sudden snicker cut off Cinder. Said woman turned to glare at the source of the sound and found Mercury laying on his bed while reading a comic book. The silver-haired boy turned pale from the look he was getting from the raven-haired woman. Cinder was about to start yelling at her servant, but stopped once she noticed the cover of Mercury's comic book. It had a picture of a woman in a tight superhero outfit and the villainess started to get an idea from it.

 _'Superheroes... Ruby was rescued by her teammates like they were a bunch of heroes. Ruby also likes heroes,'_ Cinder thought to herself as she stared at the comic book cover with wide eyes. ''Mercury, what are you reading?''

''I-It's just a comic about a woman with superpowers, who-'' Mercury started to explain until his comic was snatched from his hands by his mistress.

Cinder started going through the comic book, looking at every picture with wide eyes. She flipped through the pages until she came upon a scene that made her stop. It showed how the heroine was carrying a girl she had just rescued and the two started kissing passionately.

To say the least, Cinder's imagination started bringing up images of her and Ruby in a similar situation and it made her nose bleed.

''THIS IS IT!'' the raven-haired woman screamed happily, surprising her two servants.

''Ummm... What exactly do you mean by that, Mistress?'' Emerald asked in a quiet voice.

''Emerald, call Roman and tell him that I will be needing his services soon! Tell him to wait for my call! I'm going to go make some important preparations now!'' Cinder said excitedly before walking out of the room, leaving behind two very confused servants.

''...Any idea what that was about?'' Emerald asked Mercury.

''Hey, don't look at me. You're her biggest fangirl,'' the silver-haired boy replied, earning him a pillow thrown at his face by the pickpocket.

* * *

About a week later, team RWBY was once again fighting Roman Torchwick to stop his criminal deeds. The team of young Huntresses were trying to stop the thief from robbing another Dust shop and were currently fighting his White Fang goons, while Roman himself was spectating the fight with Neo by his side.

''Dammit all! How is it that they found out about our plans again!?'' Roman cursed as he watched his goons get beaten. ''Cinder herself told us to rob this place! She is going to turn me into barbecue after this!''

 _''Should we consider another line of work? I mean, we are getting defeated by a group of teenagers. That's pretty lame,''_ Neo asked with one of her signs.

''Oh, bite your tongue, Neo! Where do you even keep pulling those from?''

Meanwhile, team RWBY was having their own conversation while taking down some White Fang goons.

''I have to say, Ruby, you have really surprised me!'' Weiss called out while using Dust on some of her enemies. ''The fact that you knew exactly where Roman would be is something I couldn't have expected!''

''Yeah, Rubes! This was a great job!'' Yang yelled happily as she punched another White Fang member in the face. ''I mean, I always knew that you were a great leader, but this is really something! How did you ever know that Torchwick was going to rob this place!?''

''I didn't! I got a message from someone that told me about this!'' Ruby answered as she knocked out another enemy with the back of her scythe.

''Who sent you that message?'' Blake asked.

''I don't know. It was signed by someone called ''Flaming C.'' Don't know who that is.''

By this point, Roman and Neo were about to join the fight, but a sudden voice stopped everyone in their tracks.

''Stop right there, evildoers!'' a woman's voice called out. ''If you think that you are able to continue with your evil ways unpunished, then think again! The hammer of justice is here to punish you all for your crimes and no amount of begging is going to save you!''

Everyone started to look around for the source of the voice. It didn't take long until one of the White Fang goons found it and soon everyone was staring at it. On top of one of the nearby buildings, there was a young woman standing on it. It was none other than Cinder Fall, but the raven-haired woman had disguised herself. She was now wearing a black and red tight bodysuit with white gloves and boots, a red cape on her back and a black mask over her eyes. This was her superhero outfit, meant for impressing Ruby.

''What the hell is this fever dream!?'' Roman asked out of shock.

 _''You tell me. I'm having a hard time believing my eyes,''_ Neo said with one of her signs.

''I prowl the streets at night, striking fear into the heart of evil! No innocent life shall be ruined on my watch, as I banish the darkness itself! I am the justice for those who need it! The savior for those who cry out for it! I am THE FALL MAIDEN!'' Cinder declared while striking a heroic pose.

* * *

Meanwhile inside a secret room in Beacon, Ozpin could have sworn that he heard a strange sound come from a pod he was standing next to. This pod held Amber, the injured Fall Maiden. The headmaster could have sworn that he just heard Amber sneeze inside the pod, but decided that he must have been just hearing things. He thought that Glynda might have been right about him needing to cut back on coffee.

* * *

''...Cinder? Is that you?'' Roman asked, having finally recognized the superhero from her voice and appearance. ''What the hell are you wearing?''

 _''Looks like something out of a bad costume shop. It's even worse than that club waitress outfit she often wears,''_ Neo said through one of her signs again.

''Hah! Your villainous trickery won't distract me! You shall feel the full wrath of justice tonight through the hands of me and my sidekick, Illusion Girl!'' Cinder declared and pointed down towards the street, where Emerald was standing in a similar outfit as the raven-haired woman, except her outfit was green instead of red.

''Don't ask. It wasn't my idea,'' Emerald stated to everyone staring at her in a blank voice. She then turned towards Cinder and said, ''Also, did you have to call me ''Illusion Girl?'' Kind of reveals my trump card, you know?''

''Okay, seriously, what is going on? Please tell me you're using something that makes you do all this, because if you're not, I'll be very concerned for your mental health,'' Roman said while looking between Cinder and Emerald. ''Not that it wasn't a subject of concern before...''

''Enough talk! Now feel the burning wrath of justice!'' Cinder declared as she jumped down from the building and started fighting Roman's goons.

While the raven-haired woman was busy playing superhero, Emerald simply walked up to Neo and said, ''Hey, this is already embarrassing enough without us putting on a flashy and pointless fight, so can we end this quickly?''

 _''What do you mean?''_ Neo asked with a sign, which the green-haired girl snatched from her hands and used to bash the mute girl's head until she was knocked out.

''That's what I meant, you mute creep,'' Emerald said to Neo's unconscious body.

Seeing his bodyguard get taken down caused Roman to attempt escaping. However, before he had the chance to run away, he was stopped by Cinder, who stood in front of him with a smile on her face.

''Thanks, Roman. I'll make sure to send you a cake to the prison as a token of my appreciation,'' the raven-haired woman whispered to the thief. Before he could ask what she meant, he was kicked in the groin and had his head slammed into the ground, knocking him out cold.

While Cinder was standing over her defeated ''enemy,'' Ruby decided to walk up to the disguised villainess. The young redhead had something to ask of this masked savior.

''No need to thank me, miss!'' Cinder said to the approaching Ruby. ''I was just doing my duty as the protector of this city and-''

''Cinder, is that you?'' Ruby asked, cutting off the raven-haired woman.

Cinder looked at Ruby with wide and shocked eyes, before turning her gaze towards Emerald. The green-haired girl simply shrugged and said, ''I told you these outfits wouldn't work.''

''How did you guess it was me?'' Cinder asked Ruby, having turned her attention back to the redhead.

''It's pretty obvious. Not only did I recognize your voice, but that costume doesn't really hide your identity. Those outfits only work in comic books,'' the young team leader answered.

The raven-haired woman stared down at the ground as she felt embarrassment wash over her. The fact that the girl she was trying to impress had figured her identity was so shameful that she just wanted the earth under her feet to swallow her.

''Although, I have to say that you were pretty cool,'' Ruby said, causing Cinder to look up at the young redhead, who had a smile and blush on her face. She was also digging her foot into the ground and was alternating between looking at Cinder and the ground. ''I mean, the way you swooped down from that building and started to take on all those guys at once was really something. Not to mention, that outfit looks really good on you.''

To say that Cinder was happy would be the biggest understatement ever. The raven-haired woman almost squealed from joy after hearing such words from the girl she loved. It was honestly a miracle that she managed to control her actions from the joy she was feeling.

Meanwhile, the WBY were staring at Cinder with pure rage in their eyes. The fact that one of their biggest rivals had managed to accomplish something that they had wanted infuriated them to no end. They could only glare at their enemy, as she had a good time talking with Ruby.

''This sucks! Why does Cinder get to be a cool hero for Ruby and I don't!? This is so unfair!'' Yang cried out with her eyes red.

''This is honestly one of the most tasteless things I have ever seen,'' Blake mumbled angrily. ''If this was a book, this would be the worst possible ending and it would ruin the author's career for good.''

''Well, two can play that game!'' Weiss declared. ''I'll show that not only can I be just as much of a hero as she is, but I'll also be better!''

* * *

Later that day, Emerald was walking towards her team's dorm after getting rid of her superhero outfit. Since Cinder wasn't going to be doing anymore of her hero acting, the pickpocket didn't see any need for her to keep the outfit.

Once she walked into her dorm, she saw something she had never expected to see. Cinder was sitting on her bed, hugging her superhero outfit, while singing to herself about how she became ''Ruby's one true hero.'' This sight creeped out Emerald, but she also saw something strange going on with Mercury. The silver-haired boy was sitting on his bed and staring at Cinder with wide eyes, but what was strange was that he was practically buried in comic books.

''Mercury, what's going on? Why are you covered in comics?'' Emerald asked her partner.

''I have no idea. I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when Cinder suddenly came in and dumped these on me with the biggest smile on her face,'' Mercury replied while gesturing at the comics he was covered with. ''She said it was for ''giving her the best idea ever,'' whatever that means.''

The green-haired girl looked at her mistress, who was still happily hugging her outfit and singing to herself. Emerald let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

''Why do I have a bad feeling about this?'' the pickpocket mumbled to herself.

* * *

In a room Ozpin had provided to Winter Schnee, said woman was putting on her own superhero outfit. Once she had learned of Cinder's success in impressing Ruby, she wanted to do the same herself. The white-haired woman was not going to lose to anyone, not even one of her sort of allies.

''Cinder's got some nerve to go behind my back and woo Ruby! Too bad for her, but I'm the expert when it comes to superheroes! Ruby will be amazed by my outfit alone!'' Winter declared as she finished dressing up. Her outfit consisted of a black combat uniform with a metal armor covering her right arm, a black mask over the lower half of her face and a mask that was over her eyes. ''Everyone will be astonished with THE WINTER SOLDIER!''

''I think you're going to get sued for that one,'' Glynda called from the bathroom, where she was putting on her own superhero outfit.

''Excuse me!?'' the soldier asked angrily.

''You seem to lack originality, if your name is any indication,'' the teacher replied.

''Oh really!? How about you show me what you've got then!?''

''Thought you'd never ask,'' Glynda said before dashing out of the bathroom. She did a quick spin and then struck a cute pose to show her outfit, which consisted of what appeared to be a white and purple schoolgirl uniform with a very short dress, white elbow-long gloves and high-heeled purple boots. ''The fighter of justice and love! Pretty soldier Sailor Glynda is here!''

''...And you said I lacked originality,'' Winter mumbled angrily.

* * *

In another part of Beacon, Ruby Rose was walking to her team's dorm. The girl was skipping happily as today had been one of the better days of her life. Not only were Roman Torchwick and his assistant finally caught, she found a new side to one of her friends. The redhead had never expected Cinder to be into superheroes like that, but she guessed that her friend had been hiding it all this time.

Ruby finally made it to her dorm room and walked in. What she saw there was something she couldn't have expected.

''Ruby, look at me! Pretty cool, huh?'' Weiss asked happily. She was dressed in what appeared to be silver knight's armor, completed with a large lance and a shield. ''I am the honorable warrior, who rides through the streets to spread justice around! I am THE SILVER KNIGHT!''

''Hah! As if that was a costume that would amaze anyone!'' Blake called from Yang's bed, where she was standing in her own costume. The cat faunus' outfit consisted of a black bodysuit, black boots and gloves and a long black cape. Her outfit also had a small yellow picture of a cat on her chest. ''I am the one who strikes fear in the hearts of criminals! I am THE CATWOMAN!''

''Like you losers knew anything about being cool! Check me out!'' Yang called from the bathroom before dashing out of it. Her costume consisted of a yellow motorcycle suit with bits of yellow armor covering different parts. She was also wearing a yellow motorcycle helmet, which looked like an insect's head. ''Speeding through the streets to fight evil! The biker of justice! YANG RIDER!''

''...You guys are only allowed to wear those outfits during Halloween or in comic book conventions. Understood?'' Ruby said, not wanting to be seen in a public place with her teammates looking like that.

* * *

Meanwhile in Vale's prison, Roman Torchwick and Neo were eating lunch in the prison's cafeteria. Both criminals were wearing the orange outfits that every prisoner was wearing, with the exception that Roman was still wearing his bowler hat.

''Well, this is just great, isn't it?'' the thief asked bitterly. ''Not only were my plans ruined by a bunch of kids again, but I was put in prison by my own boss, who wanted to play hero for some reason. To top it all off, the food here is awful. What even is this stuff?''

 _''I have no idea, but I think I saw it move,''_ Neo answered with one of her signs as she stared down at her meal with wide and scared eyes. Whatever the gray mass of supposed food was, it was definitely not appetizing.

Roman let out a depressed sigh and said, ''At least they let me keep my hat.''

As soon as the orange-haired man said that, a rather large and muscular prisoner walked up to him. He then proceeded to take Roman's hat and punching his fist through it, ruining it for good. He then simply placed it back on the thief's head before walking away.

With trembling hands, Roman took his hat from his head and looked at it with wide eyes. He then hugged it tightly against his chest while whimpering. A couple of tears even escaped his eyes.

Neo was about to say something, but she was unable to find her signs. She looked over to where a bunch of female prisoners were and saw them breaking her signs while laughing. Now it was Neo's turn to cry, as her only way of communication was taken away from her. It looked like both criminals were in for a quite nasty stay in Vale's prison for now.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This was something I thought up while thinking about Cinder's position in this story. Since she is a villain, she should have the worst chances of winning Ruby over. But what if she started doing good things to impress the redhead? The idea sounded pretty funny to me.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter, and you can send me suggestions through PM. I'll check them out and see what I can do.**

 **I'll probably write one more chapter in this story before going and finishing Of Fashion And Death. So the chapter after that might take some time.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	24. Kiss Kiss Competition

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 24: Kiss Kiss Competition**

Yang and Blake were running down the halls of Beacon. The two partners were racing against each other to their team's dorm, thinking that the first one there would get Ruby for themselves for the day. The two girls weren't just running, but were also doing everything they could to stall their opponent. At first they simply tried to push each other to the ground or trip each other, but as the race went on, their methods got more violent. The two students eventually got to the point where they were using their weapons against each other, and the destruction they caused caught many unlucky bystanders.

Oobleck was whistling a happy tune to himself as he was heading towards his office with a mug of coffee in his hand. Unfortunately he met with Blake and Yang on his way, who were still in the middle of their ''contest.'' A stray bullet from Blake's weapon flew through the air and claimed a new victim for the War for Ruby. Oobleck's mug of coffee.

''You missed me, tuna-breath!'' Yang called out mockingly to her partner.

''That was a warning shot, you moron! Now stay away from my Ruby!'' Blake yelled back.

''Viva la Strawberry Sunrise Brigade!'' the blonde yelled as the two girls continued their race, leaving Oobleck behind.

The professor stood still, staring in silence at the coffee that had fallen to the floor when his mug had been broken. Eventually a tear slowly fell from his eye and to the floor.

''They say that a grown man shouldn't cry... but what else can I do?'' Oobleck mumbled to himself while trying to hold back his tears.

* * *

It wasn't long until Blake and Yang finally reached their team's dorm. They both burst through the door at the same time, expecting to see Ruby. However, what they saw was something they could have never expected. It was a sight so shocking that they both froze still and could only stare at the thing that had caused their reaction.

Weiss Schnee was sitting on her bed, kissing her pillow.

For a while, no other sound but the sound of the heiress' kissing was heard in the room. She was apparently so occupied with her activity that she had failed to notice her teammates arriving. It wasn't until Yang cleared her throat rather loudly that Weiss noticed the other two girls. Once she did, her face turned as red as Ruby's cloak. The amused looks on both of her teammates' faces and the signs of them obviously trying to hold back laughter told the heiress that she was in for a quite displeasing moment in her life.

''So, Weiss, mind introducing us to your new friend?'' Yang asked while desperately trying to hold back her laughter. ''I see that you two have gotten quite far in your relationship.''

''T-This isn't what it looks like!'' Weiss screamed. ''I was just practicing!''

''Don't say that, Weiss!'' Blake said with some laughter escaping from her mouth. ''I'm sure that you're hurting your girlfriend's feelings with such words!''

''IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!'' the heiress screamed at the top of her lungs, finally having enough of her teammates' jokes. ''I'm trying to practice kissing for the time I get to kiss Ruby for the first time!''

''Oh yeah! That must really be working well for you! What kind of feedback has your ''teacher'' been giving you?'' Yang asked with a grin, having finally stopped laughing.

''Like you're one to talk!'' Weiss shot back. ''Has either one of you ever kissed anyone before!?''

''Actually, Weiss, I have,'' Blake answered, surprising her teammates. ''Back when I was still in the White Fang, I kissed someone.''

''Really? What was it like?'' Yang asked, curious of what her partner's first kiss was like.

''Well...''

* * *

 _It was a day of celebration in a camp of the White Fang. The faunus people were celebrating a successful terrorist attack that had damaged their sworn enemy, the SDC, badly. Blake was sitting at a table, enjoying a good book, when a certain bull faunus walked up to her._

 _''Hey, Blakey! Guess what!?'' a drunk Adam Taurus asked his partner. ''I'm always HORNY!''_

 _''Oh dear God, Adam...'' Blake mumbled to herself, already getting annoyed by her partner's drunken antics._

 _''You know why!? Because I'm a BULL!'' the bull faunus said before laughing at his own joke. ''Get it!? Bull!? Horns!? Horny!? Heh heh! I kill myself with these sometimes...''_

 _''Sometimes I wish you did,'' the cat faunus grumbled angrily while glaring at the male faunus. ''Why would anyone give you alcohol!? You can't even drink half a bottle of beer without losing control over yourself!''_

 _''...Wanna kiss?''_

 _Blake sighed and closed her book. ''Fine. But only because A) there's nothing better to do, and B) I find you attractive for some reason. Maybe you'll get better with time.''_

* * *

''...I guess you could call it an experience,'' the cat faunus said to her teammates, not really willing to tell them of her rather embarrassing past.

''Ooookay,'' Yang said, wondering what got her partner into such a bad mood suddenly. ''But I have to say that when it comes to kisses, I've got you two beat!''

''Really? How come?'' Weiss asked, not believing the blonde at all.

''Because the person I have kissed is none other than Ruby!'' the brawler stated proudly, causing her teammates to look at her with wide eyes.

''NO! IT CAN'T BE! YOU HAVE TO BE LYING!'' Weiss screamed as she grabbed Yang by the front of her shirt. ''When!? When did you do it!? And where!? Did you use tongue!? Did you do anything else besides kissing!? AT LEAST TELL ME HOW SHE TASTED!''

''Weiss, hold your horses a bit!'' Yang said, getting somewhat frightened by her white-haired teammate's reaction. ''I didn't do anything other than give her a quick kiss on the cheek or something like that! We were just kids back then!''

''So you weren't talking about any romantic kisses, correct?'' Blake asked, wanting to make sure.

''Of course! Hell, I doubt we even knew what romance meant back then,'' the blonde replied.

''Was that supposed to be your idea of a joke?'' Weiss asked while gritting her teeth.

''Well, I thought it was- Oof!'' Yang began to say, only to be cut off by the heiress punching her in the gut, bringing her to her knees.

''Bad jokes aside, it seems that I'm the only one who has any experience with kissing,'' Blake stated smugly. ''I'm sure that if we were to test it with Ruby, she would say that I'm the best.''

''The hell she would! You only kissed some ugly White Fang goon! I know Rubes so well that I can give her the best kiss on pure instinct alone!'' Yang said, angered by her partner's comment.

''Unlike you two, I have been practicing! I have perfected my technique and I'm certain that I'll be the one to give Ruby the greatest kiss of all time!'' Weiss exclaimed.

''Did your pillow perhaps tell you that, Weiss!?'' both Blake and Yang yelled at the heiress at the same time.

The three girls ended glaring at each other, not willing to back down. Each one of them thought that they were the best kisser out of them. It wasn't until Blake spoke up that things calmed down between them.

''Look, we all think that we're the best, okay? So how about we have a little contest to see which one of us truly is the best?'' the cat faunus suggested.

''What do you mean?'' Weiss asked.

''How about we kiss each other and try to determine whose kiss is the best?'' Blake answered.

''Kiss each other!? EW!'' Yang said, disgusted by her partner's suggestion.

''How can you say anything that disgusting, Blake!?'' Weiss exclaimed, feeling the same way about the suggestion as her blonde teammate did.

''Look, we clearly have an argument here that we need to solve! Besides, who else are we supposed to kiss!?'' the cat faunus argued.

Weiss and Yang thought about their teammate's words for a second, before coming to the same conclusion. This was truly the only way for them to solve this. They couldn't ask Ruby for this as they would risk her finding out about their feelings. The three girls didn't want that to happen out of fear of rejection or Ruby feeling like she had to get together with one of them. They wanted the redhead to come to them out of her own free will. They also couldn't just ask someone to be their judge as there really wasn't anyone that they would be all that okay kissing with. Blake's idea was the only solution.

''Alright, let's do this,'' Yang said with a sigh. ''But you need to wash your mouth first, Blake!''

''I'M A CAT FAUNUS! I CAN'T HELP IT IF I LOVE TUNA!'' the raven-haired girl yelled angrily.

* * *

A little later, the WBY was standing in the middle of their dorm, looking at each other. They had decided that each of them would give a demonstration to one of their teammates by kissing the other one. Weiss would kiss Yang, Yang would kiss Blake and Blake would kiss Weiss.

It was time for their contest to start and Weiss walked up to her blonde teammate. Blake was staring at her two teammates, waiting to see what the heiress would do.

''The perfect kiss is about being graceful and delicate. You need to treat your partner with care and respect, to show them just how important they are,'' Weiss explained. She then leaned in to kiss Yang on the lips and stayed like that for a while, before pulling back with her face as red as a tomato. ''This way you can give out your feelings to your partner in one simple action and thus show them you love.''

''I don't know, Weiss. That didn't exactly give me any exciting signals,'' Blake said with her voice full of doubt. ''How was it, Yang?''

''About as exciting as getting poked with a frozen fish stick,'' Yang answered, angering Weiss. ''Seriously, Weiss, were you even trying?''

''Well then, how about you show me how it's done!?'' the white-haired girl asked angrily.

''Watch and learn, princess. The real perfect kiss is about showing the person you're kissing that you want them and making them want more,'' the brawler said as she walked up to her partner.

Before Blake could even say anything, Yang grabbed her in a powerful bearhug. The hug was so strong that the cat faunus was actually getting physically hurt by it and she could swear that she felt her bones breaking. However, just as she opened her mouth to say something, the blonde practically smashed her mouth over hers and pushed her tongue inside. Blake tried her best to struggle, but was unable to escape from the tight and painful hold she was in. Eventually, Yang pulled back with a satisfied smirk on her face.

''See that, Weiss? You show them how you want them and- OW!'' Yang began to say, but was cut off by a punch to the back of her head from her partner. ''What the hell was that, Blake!?''

''I should be asking that, moron!'' the cat faunus yelled back. ''Were you trying to kill me or something!? I thought you were going to crush me with that hug and I couldn't breathe!''

''I do have to say, Yang, that your kiss looked more like sexual assault,'' Weiss stated blankly. ''I doubt Ruby would appreciate a kiss like that.''

''Oh, bite me, both of you!'' the brawler shouted angrily.

''With both of you failing, I suppose it falls to me to show you how it's done,'' Blake said as she walked up to Weiss. ''The perfect kiss is about getting your loved one in the mood. In order to do that, you need to do something before the kiss that both of you left out.''

''And what is that?'' Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.

''Teasing,'' the raven-haired girl answered before she started to lick Weiss' face. The heiress froze completely stiff as her teammate went over every inch of her face. It didn't take long until she had enough of Blake's ''show of affection'' and decided to end the demonstration by grabbing the cat faunus' tongue and pulling on it hard. This caused Blake to pull away and hold her tongue in pain. ''WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?''

''WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WAS FOR!?'' Weiss screamed at her teammate with her face red from anger. ''DO YOU THINK THAT I'M SOME SORT OF A CANDY TREAT TO BE LICKED OR SOMETHING!?''

''Was that perhaps one of those cat traits you have from being a faunus? Like your obsession with tuna?'' Yang asked sarcastically.

''Oh, bite me, both of you!'' Blake said angrily at her teammates while she was sticking her tongue out as it was still hurting. ''I was still the best kisser out of all three of us!''

''THE HELL YOU WERE! THAT TITLE BELONGS TO ME!'' Weiss and Yang screamed at the faunus.

Just as the three girls were about to get into a fight, the door to their dorm was suddenly slammed open. The WBY turned to look there and saw none other than the WGC there. The three women looked around the room like they were looking for something.

''Is Ruby not here?'' Winter asked the three girls.

''No,'' Yang answered with a glare. ''And even if we knew where she was, we wouldn't tell you.''

''Why you brats!'' Cinder said angrily with sparks coming from her eyes. ''I'll-''

''Let it go, Cinder,'' Glynda said, stopping her ally from attacking their enemies. ''We should focus on finding Ruby, not fighting with them. That would be a waste of our time.''

The teacher and the villainess were about to leave, but Winter stopped them.

''Hold on a second, you two,'' the soldier said to her two allies before looking at the WBY again. ''What exactly were you doing here?''

''What makes you ask that?'' Weiss asked her older sister.

''Your face is covered in what looks like drool and Blake's tongue is sticking out, like it's been hurt. Also, you three were standing like you were about to fight,'' Winter answered with a smirk. ''I want to know what caused all this.''

''We were having a contest to see who is the best kisser among us,'' Blake answered with a slight blush on her face.

The three women of the WGC stared at their rivals with wide eyes for a moment, before they suddenly burst out laughing. This angered the WBY to no end.

''What the hell is so funny!?'' Yang asked angrily.

''You three little girls actually think your kisses are worth anything!?'' Cinder said while laughing. ''I doubt any of you kids have had any worthy experience in that area!''

''Like you three could do any better!'' Weiss yelled back.

''Okay then, how about a deal?'' Winter asked after she stopped laughing. ''We'll take part in this contest of yours and if we win, we'll get Ruby for ourselves for the weekend. Deal?''

''Deal. But if you lose, you'll stay away from her for the rest of the week. Got it?'' the younger of the Schnee sisters said while glaring at her older sister.

* * *

With the deal made, the two groups got ready for their contest. It was decided that each person would pair up with their rival, as they wanted to show how much better they were over each other. This of course led to Winter and Weiss paring up, which they didn't like at all. The two Schnees had gotten swept up with the mood and agreed with the pairings without realizing what it meant. To make matters worse, all the others were having fun with their predicament and wouldn't switch partners, thus forcing them to go with it.

The first one of the WGC to show their kissing skills was Winter. She was standing in front of Weiss, who was waiting for her older sister's demonstration.

''The key to the perfect kiss is in how you handle yourself. You must perform every action that goes in the kiss with utmost care,'' the older Schnee said before turning to face her younger sister. ''First, make sure your stance is correct,'' Winter said while standing straight like the soldier she was. ''Then you lean in and prepare your lips,'' the lecture continued with the soldier leaning and making a kissing face with her lips, which made her look ridiculous.

''Is she trying to kiss Weiss or make her laugh?'' Cinder asked Glynda as she stared at Winter's performance.

''I have no idea,'' the teacher answered.

''And finally, you kiss,'' Winter concluded her lecture by giving Weiss a quick kiss on the lips. She then quickly pulled back with a smug smirk on her face. ''That was a perfect kiss, if I do say so myself.''

''Or the lamest thing ever,'' Blake said blankly.

''Can't believe that I'm saying this, but I think Weiss is better than you,'' Yang stated.

''How dare you two!?'' the soldier asked angrily before turning her attention to her allies. ''You two at least saw how my kiss was perfect, right!?''

''Hate to say this, Winter, but I agree with the kids,'' Cinder said. ''You have no idea how to kiss at all, do you?''

''Of course I do! General Ironwood handed me very detailed instructions on how to kiss properly!''

There was a moment of silence in the room with everyone staring at Winter. The silence was broken by Glynda, who started to laugh uncontrollably.

''What the hell is so funny!?'' Winter asked angrily.

''Y-You got your advice from IRONWOOD!? You do realize that he has never had a girlfriend in his entire life and is actually A VIRGIN!'' Glynda managed to say while laughing wildly. Her answer caused everyone to laugh as well, except for Winter, who had turned red from anger and embarrassment.

When everyone had finally calmed down, it was Glynda's turn. She was standing in front of Yang, who wasn't exactly happily waiting for the teacher's kiss. The blonde girl had never really liked the teacher, so she wasn't looking forward to this experience.

''The perfect kiss is not just about the kiss, but other actions you do to help it,'' Glynda said before turning to look at Yang. ''Would you turn around, please?''

The brawler raised a questioning eyebrow, but did as she was told. She still wondered what the teacher was going to do.

''Just think of Ruby, Glynda. Think of her and you can do this,'' Glynda silently mumbled to herself in order to steel her resolve. Yang wasn't the only one who wasn't looking forward to this, but she was still going to go through with it.

Suddenly, the teacher went and slapped Yang's butt very hard. There was a couple of seconds of silence as everyone processed what had just happened. Then the blonde girl turned to glare at Glynda with angry red eyes.

''WHAT THE-!?'' Yang began to yell, but she was cut off by the teacher's next move. She used her Semblance to wrap a strong rope around the student's body, which held her still. Before Yang could even attempt to escape, Glynda had pulled her into a deep kiss. After about 20 seconds, the blonde woman pulled back with a cocky smile on her face.

''Now, that's a perfect kiss. You surprise and excite your target right before giving them the kiss that simply perfects the whole thing,'' Glynda explained with a smug voice.

However, the teacher did not expect the reaction she got from her audience. Everyone was staring at her with wide eyes and looks of absolute shock and horror on their faces.

''You disgusting witch! Were you planning to do something perverted like that to sweet and innocent Ruby!?'' Cinder screamed angrily.

''Well, she is armed with a riding crop, so I'm guessing this is just her showing her true colors,'' Winter said while glaring at Glynda.

''What!? That is not what this is about! I'm just trying to be romantic and create the perfect mood!'' the blonde woman said in her defense. ''I mean, I have watched some things... and read some things... and even liked them. But this is not about anything perverted!''

''Like hell it isn't!'' Yang yelled with angry red eyes. The brawler would have probably looked a lot more threatening, if she didn't have the rope around her, which forced her to move around by jumping. ''If you really think I'm letting someone like you do this to Ruby, then- GAH!''

Yang's threat was cut off by her two teammates pushing her out of the way, so they could walk up to Glynda and glare at her in close range. The blonde girl fell to the floor, where she started struggling to free herself.

''You have another thing coming if you think you can do that to our team leader!'' Weiss said in a threatening voice with Blake nodding behind her. ''We are going to make sure that you'll never get close to her, understood!?''

Before the arguing could get out of hand, Winter decided to step between the two girls and Glynda, breaking them up.

''Alright, how about we try to get past Glynda's kinky side and move on? I want to finally get this over with,'' the soldier suggested to which everyone agreed.

''Hey!'' a sudden voice called from the floor, causing everyone to look at it. They saw that Yang was still on the floor with the rope around her body. ''Would you guys mind and let me loose finally!?''

After freeing Yang, the group was back to their contest. The only things that were different were that Cinder and Blake were the ones taking center stage and that everyone seemed to be keeping their distance from Glynda, having not liked her latest performance.

The villainess was staring at the cat faunus, who was waiting for her to do her thing. However, Cinder was having trouble doing what she was supposed to do. While she did want to win the contest they were having, she didn't want to kiss Blake at all. The raven-haired woman was dedicated to Ruby and only Ruby. She felt that kissing anyone else for any reason would be like cheating on the lovely redhead.

 _'Goddammit, why did I agree to this!? My lips are only meant for Ruby! Not this damn stray cat who stinks like tuna! I mean, does she ever brush her teeth!? I just hope that the stench won't stick to me! If it does, I doubt that Ruby would ever let me kiss her!'_ Cinder thought to herself bitterly. _'Besides, I want cuddle and smother that cutie Ruby with kisses and snuggle her like the teddy bear she is! I don't want to do any of that with Blake! The thought alone is enough to make me want to throw up!'_

While the villainess was having her inner turmoil, Blake was staring at her with confused eyes. It looked like her rival was having trouble, but she couldn't understand why.

 _'I will not kiss her like I would with Ruby! None of these fools deserve that! Instead, I shall show them just how strong of a woman I truly am! I will show them the power of Cinder Fall!'_ Cinder thought to herself and walked up to the cat faunus in front of her. Without a warning, she grabbed Blake by her hair, angled her head backwards and kissed her roughly on the mouth. When the raven-haired girl began to struggle, the villainess simply pushed harder and didn't let go.

It would have been a rather intense scene, if Cinder hadn't suddenly pulled away and started to hold her throat and making sounds like she was trying to throw up.

''Oh God, that was disgusting!'' the raven-haired woman yelled. ''Have you ever considered washing your mouth!?''

''Hey! Yang didn't have any trouble kissing me earlier!'' Blake shouted in her defense.

''Actually, I did my best not to throw up, when I kissed you,'' the blonde girl said. ''It was honestly one of the worst experiences of my life.''

''That does it! No more tuna for you, Blake!'' Weiss yelled.

''NOOOOOOOO!''

''Well, since our little contest is now over, I think it's safe to say that I was the best one,'' Winter said with a smirk on her face.

''Like hell you were! That title belongs to me!'' Glynda yelled at the soldier.

''Your perverted actions were something you should be ashamed of! I'm the best one here!'' Blake shouted.

''No! I'm the best one!''

''I'm the one!''

''My kisses are the best!''

''NO! MINE!''

The whole group was soon caught in another fight between themselves, where each of them was trying to prove that they were the best kisser. They were so caught up in their argument that they didn't notice someone walking towards the room. Only when the door opened did they stop to see that Ruby had arrived there.

Everybody froze as the young team leader took in the sight in front of her with wide eyes. Blake had pushed Cinder down on her bed and was apparently trying to lick the villainess' face. Winter and Weiss had their hands locked together and seemed to be pushing each other, while their faces showed that they were about to kiss. Glynda was on top of Yang on Weiss' bed and she was using her Semblance to wrap a rope around the blonde student, while Yang was trying to pull the teacher down for a kiss.

To say the least, Ruby made quite an assumption from the scene in front of her.

''I'm sorry to have bothered you all,'' the redhead said in a quiet voice and a blush on her face. She then began to leave the room. ''Carry on.''

Once Ruby had left, the WBY and WGC looked at each other for a moment, before they finally realized their positions.

''GODDAMMIT!''

* * *

The next day, Ruby was sitting with team JNPR in the cafeteria, eating breakfast. Her teammates were on a different table, eating their own breakfast with depression hanging over them. Things had been rather awkward between Ruby and the three older girls after yesterday's incident. The WBY couldn't come up with anything to explain what had happened, so they were forced to keep their distance from their beloved leader.

''Not that I'm complaining or anything, Ruby, but why did you suddenly join us for breakfast?'' Jaune asked his fellow team leader. ''I mean, I thought you would be with your team like you usually are.''

''Yeah! Those three are practically glued to you, so why the sudden change?'' Nora asked while stuffing her mouth with pancakes.

''Oh, they just need some space. That's all,'' Ruby answered with an awkward smile on her face.

''Why is that?'' Pyrrha asked.

''Let's just say that spring came to them yesterday.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hope you liked the chapter. Anyways, I'm going to return to Of Fashion And Death now and try to finish it. I'll try to do it quickly as I need to do a Halloween-themed chapter on this story as well. I'm guessing I'm busy for October, huh?**

 **Please leave reviews. Also, PM me for suggestions. I'll take a look at them and see what I can do.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	25. Halloween Warfare

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 25: Halloween Warfare**

It was October and Beacon was getting ready for Halloween. A handful of students and teachers were making preparations for a big party to celebrate the festival, while others were preparing their costumes or making plans for that day. Vale itself was getting prepared as well, with people decorating their houses and getting candy ready for tick or treaters. Even Ozpin himself was getting a costume ready for the party that was going to be held.

However, not everyone was making their preparations with joy and happiness. A group of three girls known as the WBY was locked in another argument over their team leader, Ruby Rose.

The trio of girls were arguing over which one of them gets Ruby to participate in an activity they had planned for her for Halloween. Yang wanted to take the redhead trick or treating, Weiss wanted to take her to the party and Blake wanted to take her to a book store, where a famous horror author would be reading his newest story for an audience.

''I'm telling you two, I know Ruby the best!'' Yang yelled at her teammates. ''She loves all sorts of sugary sweets, so she'll definitely want to go trick or treating!''

''Ruby is not a child anymore, Yang! I'm sure her tastes have changed!'' Weiss argued. ''On the other hand, the party I want to take her to is perfect for her! I can just imagine her dancing to the music with me!''

''She is not the kind of person who likes parties, princess! She is like me and doesn't like noisy and crowded parties!'' Blake yelled at the heiress. ''My plan is something that she'll definitely enjoy! As a fellow friend of books, I'm certain that she'll like my book store plan!''

''In your dreams, tuna-breath!'' both Yang and Weiss yelled at the same time.

''WOULD YOU PLEASE LET THAT GO ALREADY!?''

* * *

Unknown to the WBY, there was a drone flying just outside their window. It had a camera and a microphone on it, so the three girls' argument was getting fully recorded by the people spying on them. These spies were none other than their rivals, the WGC, who were currently watching and listening to the WBY's argument in Glynda's office.

''It's surprising how well their team works together, considering all the arguing they do,'' Glynda said as she watched their rivals bicker like small children. ''It must be thanks to Ruby.''

''Get closer, Winter,'' Cinder told her ally. ''I think we might otherwise miss important details.''

''And I think you should shut your mouth and let me drive!'' Winter yelled angrily at the raven-haired woman. ''Do you have any idea how much this thing cost!? I'm not going to risk them noticing us and destroying it!''

''So what? It took only like 10% of your allowance,'' Glynda stated blankly.

''No it didn't!'' the soldier argued back. When she got blank stares from her two allies, she muttered, ''It was 11%...''

 _''Alright, so we all think we know what Ruby would want to do on Halloween, right? How about we have her try all of them?''_ Yang's voice could be heard saying through the monitor, catching the WGC's attention.

 _''What do you mean?''_ Weiss asked.

 _''I say that we each take her to our Halloween activity and see which one she likes the best. I'll first take her trick or treating, then you can take her to the party and then Blake takes her to that book store thing.''_

The WGC turned to look at each other with big smiles on their faces. It seemed like an opportunity had fallen on them to win Ruby from their rivals.

''Are you two thinking what I'm thinking?'' Winter asked her two comrades.

''Certainly!'' Glynda replied cheerfully. ''We'll take part in their little activities as well and defeat them in their own game!''

''I can't wait to see the looks on their faces, when we steal Ruby right under their noses!'' Cinder said gleefully.

Winter started to fly the drone away from team RWBY's dorm and back to them. They had learned everything they needed to know and the soldier didn't want to risk the drone getting damaged. However, just as she turned the machine around, a crow flew towards it and crashed into it, bringing it to the ground.

''NO!'' Winter screamed, horrified by how her spy tool had been damaged. ''Goddamn bird! Why did it have to go kamikaze on my drone!?''

''Relax, Winter. I'm sure it hasn't been badly damaged. We can probably fix it, once we go get it back,'' Cinder said in an attempt at comforting her comrade.

Just when the three women were about to leave, they noticed something on the monitor. A certain unshaven man was walking towards the downed drone, while muttering angrily about stupid toys taking up airspace.

''Is that...?'' Winter began to ask, recognizing the man. ''What is he-''

The WGC's faces turned to horrified expressions, when they saw the man raise up his leg in order to stomp the machine he had just crashed into. He brought his foot down and destroyed the microphone on the drone, causing a loud screeching sound to echo through the office, hurting the WGC's ears.

* * *

A couple of days later, it was Halloween in Beacon. The WBY were waiting very excitedly for their beloved team leader to come back to the dorm, so they could get their day started. They even had a costume prepared for the redheaded girl that they were dying to see her wear. Once Ruby entered the dorm, the three older girls were upon her in an instance.

''Ruby! Are you ready to spend Halloween with your favorite teammates!?'' Yang asked excitedly, while she, Weiss and Blake stared at their team leader with big smiles on their faces.

Ruby was a bit taken aback by the way her teammates suddenly appeared in front of her, but she managed to reply, ''Sorry, guys, but I've been too busy with schoolwork to really prepare for Halloween. I don't even have a costume.''

''That's alright! We have a costume prepared just for you!'' Blake said happily and gave a brown paper bag to the younger girl. ''Go put it on in the bathroom. I can guarantee that you'll like it.''

Ruby decided to humor her friends and went to the bathroom to put the costume on. The WBY waited impatiently on the outside, hoping to see their beloved leader in her costume as soon as possible. After a while, Ruby's voice could be heard from the bathroom as she finished putting on her costume.

''Ummm... Guys? I don't think that I can wear this outfit,'' the redhead's voice called out from the bathroom.

''W-Why not?'' Weiss asked, afraid that their plan had failed.

''Well, the skirt is too short for starters,'' Ruby answered. The three older girls could hear how embarrassed she was and could just imagine how badly she was blushing.

''Come on, Rubes! We worked so hard on that costume!'' Yang whined. ''You have to at least let us see it!''

The redhead sighed and said, ''Alright. I'm coming out.''

Once Ruby stepped out of the bathroom, the WBY's hearts stopped for a second upon seeing their leader in the costume they had prepared for her. Ruby was wearing a maid's dress with a very short skirt that she kept pulling down to cover herself, complete with a white apron and headpiece. However, she was also wearing red boots that wrestlers wore and red MMA gloves on her hands. To top it all off, she also had a pair of black cat ears on her head and a tail coming from her back.

The costume was a result of the WBY arguing among themselves over what Ruby should wear for Halloween. Weiss wanted her to dress up as a maid, Blake wanted her as a cat and Yang wanted her to be something ''badass and sexy.'' The end result was the outfit Ruby was wearing now. The maid clothing came from Weiss, the cat stuff from Blake and the wrestler things from Yang.

While Ruby was trying to effortlessly pull the skirt on her dress down to cover herself, she started to suddenly hear the sound of pictures being taken. She looked up and saw her teammates with their Scrolls out, taking pictures of her while their noses were bleeding.

''Guys, stop that!'' Ruby squeaked while trying to futilely cover herself up.

''Can't help it, Rubes,'' Yang said while taking pictures. ''You're just looking too good.''

''Yes. We can't help it that we want to take pictures of you,'' Weiss said.

''We need to save this moment and put these in our special archives,'' Blake added.

''...For some reason I don't like that last bit at all,'' the redhead said while her teammates continued taking pictures. ''What is this costume even supposed to be?''

''Badass kitty combat maid!'' the WBY announced in unison.

* * *

After the WBY had taken enough pictures and put on their costumes, Ruby was taken on her first part of Halloween fun with Yang. The redhead was still wearing the same costume that her teammates had provided her with, except she was also wearing her cloak to provide extra protection. The blonde was wearing her own costume, which was a yellow Power Rangers outfit. She also had a yellow motorcycle helmet, which had been painted to fit her costume, and plastic daggers strapped to her hips.

''So what exactly are we going to be doing?'' Ruby asked the older girl.

''We are going to take part in the greatest Halloween tradition there is,'' Yang said cheerfully and pulled out plastic bags from nowhere. ''We are going trick or treating!''

The redhead gave the blonde a questioning look and said, ''Are you sure we should be doing that? I mean, I like candy and all, but aren't we a bit too old for that?''

Yang pulled the younger girl into a one-armed hug and said in a comforting tone, ''You're never too old to have fun or candy. Now let's go trick or treating!''

The two girls were making their way to the Bullheads, when they heard someone running up from behind and calling for Ruby. They turned around to see Cinder running up to them.

''Ruby, wait up a bit!'' the raven-haired woman called out as she ran towards the two girls. She was wearing a black Catwoman outfit with a black mask over her eyes and had a plastic bag with her. ''Can I-?''

Cinder's words died in her throat when she noticed Ruby's outfit. At first she simply stared at the redheaded girl with wide eyes. Then her face turned red and blood started to drip from her nose. The villainess then quickly took out her Scroll and took a picture of the girl in front of her, causing her to let out an embarrassed squeak.

''Cinder! Why did you have to do that!?'' Ruby whined as she tried to cover herself with her arms.

''It was for a good reason, I swear,'' Cinder replied dreamily as she sent the picture to her allies.

* * *

Inside Glynda's office, both Winter and Glynda were putting on their costumes. The two women wanted to make sure that Ruby would be enthralled by how good they looked on Halloween.

''I must say, the way we agreed on each one's positions went much easier than I expected,'' Glynda said while putting on some make up. ''I'm surprised that neither one of you wanted to take the party.''

''Oh, please. The last thing I want to get involved with is a room full of teenagers that are trying to dance to horrible, loud music, while they each take turns spiking the drinks,'' Winter said while putting the finishing touches on her costume. ''Besides, reading horror stories is something I enjoy. While I usually read horror comics, I'm sure that books will work too.''

''I suppose that's true. But I wonder why Cinder wanted to go trick or treating so badly?'' the blonde teacher wondered.

Before the soldier could answer, both women heard their Scrolls let out a sound that told them they got a new message. They took them out and looked at the message, only for them to get massive nosebleeds immediately. Cinder's picture of Ruby in her Halloween costume was something they would treasure from that point on.

* * *

''I have to say that I'm surprised you wanted to go trick or treating with us,'' Ruby said as she, Yang and Cinder made their way towards the Bullheads. ''Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with you coming along. It's just that you don't really seem the type.''

''Yeah... Real surprising,'' Yang said as she glared at the raven-haired woman, fully knowing why one of her enemies was tagging along.

''Why, I just thought it would be a fun little activity to take part in! And what better way to enjoy it than being accompanied by a friend?'' Cinder replied, which Yang didn't believe while Ruby did. The blonde was certain that the villainess was there only to sabotage her plans and to get closer with Ruby.

However, there was another side to this. While it was true that Cinder wanted to get closer with Ruby, she had another reason to going trick or treating. The raven-haired woman wanted to take part in the activity itself. For as long as she could remember, Cinder had always seen children go trick or treating for free candy. Unfortunately, she herself had never had the chance to take part in this activity. She had always wished that she could try it out for herself as it seemed like a lot of fun. Not to mention, Cinder loved candy quite a lot.

In other words, today would the perfect day for her, as she would get to spend time with her beloved Ruby, take part in an activity that she had always wanted to try and she would get free candy.

 _'This is the BEST!'_ Cinder thought to herself happily as she, Ruby and Yang got on a Bullhead.

* * *

Once they had arrived in Vale, the trio of trick or treaters readied themselves for their candy collecting. Cinder looked especially excited as she looked at Ruby and Yang with the biggest smile on her face.

''So, how do we start?'' the raven-haired woman asked her companions. ''Are there some special preparations that we need to do or anything like that?''

''No need for anything like that. We just go to a house, ring their doorbell and say trick or treat when they open the door,'' Ruby answered as she led the way to the first house.

''Seriously, have you never gone trick or treating before?'' Yang asked as she glared at Cinder. ''It's such a simple thing to do and you don't know about it?''

''Oh, of course I do!'' the villainess said. ''I just didn't want to go and ruin your possible plans or anything like that!''

The trio got to the first house on their little trick or treating adventure. Ruby rang the doorbell and after a while an old woman opened the door while holding a bowl of candy.

''Trick or treat!'' the three ladies said happily in unison and held up their bags for the candy.

The old woman looked at the three ladies with a smile and said, ''Oh, what a lovely bunch of trick or treaters I have here today!'' She then looked at Cinder and added, ''It's especially nice to see someone looking after their younger sisters while they're having fun.''

While Yang was snickering, the raven-haired woman seemed a little offended by the comment. She decided to clear up the misunderstanding the old lady seemed to have.

''I think you're a bit mistaken there. I am not their sister. In fact, one of these two is my girlfriend,'' Cinder said with a small, smug smile. Her words caused Yang to turn red with anger, while Ruby just looked confused.

''Oh, I see! The blonde lady is your younger girlfriend, while the little redhead is her sister! You're accompanying them on their little journey! How nice of you!'' the old lady said, thinking that she had finally figured it out.

However, the old lady's comment just caused Yang and Cinder to pale and look horrified. The thought of them dating each other made the two ladies feel like throwing up.

''N-No... That's not-'' Cinder began to mumble her explanation, but was soon cut off by certain redhead.

''Cinder, Yang, how could you two!?'' Ruby yelled at her two companions, who turned to stare at her with wide eyes. ''What about Blake and Glynda!? How can you two just cheat on them like that!?''

''...I don't know which misunderstanding is worse,'' Yang said to which Cinder agreed.

* * *

Once the two older ladies of the trio had managed to explain things to Ruby, they were back on trick or treating. They continued doing this for some time, until they came from their last house.

''I got chocolate with almonds in it!'' Yang said happily as she held up her prize.

''I got some jelly beans,'' Ruby said with a smile as she looked into her bag. ''What about you, Cinder?''

''...I got a rock,'' the villainess said sadly as she held up said object.

While the blonde was snickering again, the redhead looked at her friend with sympathy and said, ''That's too bad. Shame that your run had to end on a bad note like that.''

''W-What!? We are ending this already!?'' Cinder asked, shocked that the activity would end right now.

''Yeah. I promised to get Rubes to the party they're having at Beacon,'' Yang explained. ''What's the matter? Sad that your loot is so small?''

True to the blonde's words, the raven-haired woman had gotten the least amount of candy out of the three of them. Yang had gotten the most with Ruby second. While the redhead did get a good amount of candy, there were some that saw her outfit as too provocative and refused to give her anything. It was only thanks to her pleading that Yang didn't beat them up. However, Cinder got less candy than either of them. It seemed like a lot of people saw her as too old to be trick or treating and wouldn't give her anything. This left the villainess quite sad.

''No. It's not that. I guess I just thought that this would go better,'' Cinder said sadly, causing Ruby to become concerned of her.

''Cinder? Is something wrong?'' the redhead asked as she walked up to the raven-haired woman. ''Please tell me if something is bothering you.''

Cinder took one look at Ruby's concerned silver eyes and all of her resistance broke. With a heavy sigh, she decided to explain herself.

''The thing is, this was my first time going trick or treating. I had always seen how much fun it was and wanted to try it for myself. Unfortunately, I was never able to go and do that. I wished that for one time I could enjoy myself while trying it out,'' the raven-haired woman answered while trying to hold back her tears.

Both Ruby and Yang were shocked by what they heard. While Yang saw Cinder as her enemy in her fight over Ruby, she couldn't help but feel bad for her. Some of the blonde's favorite childhood moments were of Halloween and it saddened her to hear that Cinder didn't have anything like them.

Ruby looked down at her bag of candy with a thoughtful look on her face, before she suddenly walked up to Cinder and dumped all of her candy into the raven-haired woman's bag. Both Yang and Cinder were shocked by this sudden act from the young redhead.

''R-Ruby!? What are you-!?'' the villainess began to ask, but was quickly cut off by Ruby.

''You know, when I really think about it, it was not the candy that made trick or treating so much fun. It was more about hanging out with Yang and having fun doing it. We had big smiles on our faces as we went from door to door and celebrated over our loot. So to see one of my friends so sad after such an activity breaks my heart,'' the young team leader explained before she suddenly hugged Cinder. ''I know it's not much, but I hope this makes it better for you. The only thing I want is for my friends to be happy and that's it.''

Cinder could only cry tears of happiness as she returned Ruby's hug. Meanwhile, Yang stared at them with envy.

* * *

Once the trio of ladies had gotten back to Beacon, Cinder soon left the other two and headed towards her own dorm. With Ruby and Yang left alone, the blonde decided to make her own move.

''Ruby, that was very nice of you what you did back there,'' Yang said, catching the younger girl's attention. ''I want you to share my candy.''

''Yang, there's no need for that. You should enjoy it, since you worked for it,'' Ruby said with a smile.

''It's not because of the candy that I wanted to do this!'' the blonde suddenly yelled, shocking the redhead. ''I wanted to go trick or treating with you because I share such dear memories of it with you! Planning our route, collecting the candy and trading candy with you at home! All of these are precious memories that I hold dear in my heart! I just wanted to make more of them with you...''

''Yang?''

Said girl was staring sadly at the ground, her blonde locks covering her eyes. But even with her eyes covered, one could tell she was sad, as her tears could be seen falling to the ground.

''Our lives have been... busy lately. I know that you have your duties as a student and as our team leader, but I would like to spend more time with you between just the two of us. At one point, I was pretty much your only friend around. And while I'm happy that you have new friends, I would like you to remember me as well. Sometimes I feel like you have replaced-''

The rest of Yang's sad speech were cut off by Ruby hugging her as tightly as she could. The older girl was surprised by this, but she returned the gesture.

''Yang, I could never replace you,'' the redhead said softly. ''You're such a big part of my life that I could never replace you with anything. There isn't a single person in this world whose opinion doesn't matter to me as much as your does. I look up to you even more than Uncle Qrow. So please, if you need me, just say so. I'll be there for you, like you've been for me.''

The two girls pulled away from the hug and smiled at each other. Yang was glad to hear how much she mattered to Ruby. It meant more to her than anything in the world.

''Thanks, Rubes,'' the blonde said softly. ''Before you go to the party, could you give me a quick kiss? Just for good luck.''

''Sure!'' the redhead said happily and kissed the older girl's cheek. She then started to make her way towards the party. ''I'll be going now! I'll see you later!''

''Have fun! Once you get back, well share the candy I got!'' Yang said while waving at Ruby.

''Okay, but I'm calling dibs on the chocolates with almonds!''

''Not fair! That's my favorite!'' the older girl said in a mock hurt tone while laughing. She then headed to her team's dorm while thinking, _'Best Halloween ever.'_

* * *

Back with Cinder, the raven-haired woman was having a hard time eating the candy she had. The problem was that she saw most of it as a gift from Ruby, which made it difficult for her to make herself eat it. She almost felt like she should put it on an altar or something.

''Ooooh! I want to, but I can't! Maybe just one... No! I must not! But it's so sweet...'' Cinder rambled to herself while sitting on her bed with the big bag of candy on her lap.

''Do we even want to know?'' Mercury asked Emerald, while the two watched Cinder have her ''dilemma.''

''I think we should just get something to read while listening to music on our Scrolls. That way we can ignore this,'' the green-haired girl answered.

The silver-haired boy nodded and they were soon doing what Emerald suggested. Both were listening to music while reading something. Mercury had a comic book and the thief had one of her novels, and both were happy to not hear Cinder's ramblings.

* * *

A bit later, Ruby found herself standing in front of the entrance to Beacon's great hall. It was the same place Ozpin held his speech when she first got there, so there was enough room for a party. The redhead was waiting for Weiss to show up, who was going to be her partner for this event. While she was waiting, she was forced to hear people whistle and ''admire'' her outfit. This caused Ruby to blush quite heavily, as she was not used to that kind of attention.

After what felt like an eternity to the young team leader, she heard her partner calling for her. She turned to look into the direction of the sound and saw Weiss running towards her in her own outfit. The heiress was wearing a white queen's outfit. Ruby couldn't help but imagine that if Yang had been there, she would have said that Weiss upgraded from ice princess to ice queen.

''Sorry I'm a bit late,'' Weiss said while catching her breath. ''My outfit took a while, so I hope you didn't wait for long.''

''No problem, Weiss. I didn't have to wait long,'' Ruby said with a smile. ''However, if there was a problem, it would be-''

''Hey, Rose! Nice outfit! Real sexy!'' a male student called out with a whistle.

''...that.''

Seeing someone make such lewd remarks at her beloved leader caused Weiss to burn with rage. She decided to punish the fool that dared do such a thing and pulled a small red canister of Dust from her dress. She then threw it with all her might at her target, causing him to get blown away from a small explosion.

While Ruby and everybody else around them stared at Weiss with wide eyes, the heiress herself had a satisfied smile on her face. She wasn't bothered by the attention she was getting at the moment. All that mattered to her was that Ruby had been protected and the villain that had made her feel uncomfortable had been punished.

''Now, how about we go enjoy the party?'' Weiss asked as she took Ruby's hand. ''There will be a special musical act which I want you to see.''

The redhead could only nod as she was still shocked over what the heiress just did. The two girls went inside the hall and saw just how much had been prepared for the party. The whole place was full of people in different costumes and the hall was decorated in all sorts of Halloween-themed things. There was a stage set up for a band to play and a very large buffet of drinks and food.

Ruby noticed that a few of their friends were there as well. Jaune and Pyrrha were apparently doing some sort of a theme thing together, with one of them dressed as a princess and the other one as a knight. The only thing was that the boy was the princess, which Ruby was certain was because of Pyrrha, given how excited she was while Jaune was embarrassed. Ren was dressed as a samurai, while Nora was Santa Claus for some reason. The ginger's choice in costume raised a lot of eyebrows. Team SSSN was dressed up as the members of the Achieve Men and team CFVY seemed to only have two members attending the party, Coco and Velvet. The fashionista and the rabbit faunus were dressed as two secret agents, with black suits and sunglasses.

Weiss took Ruby to the middle of the hall, where there were people listening to the music and dancing. She turned to look at the younger girl with a bright smile and said, ''Wait here and look at the stage. I've got something special planned for you.''

The redhead did as she was told and stayed there while the heiress left. It didn't take long until she saw Weiss get up on the stage. The white-haired girl walked up to the microphone and started speaking.

''I would like to dedicate this song to someone very special to me. Someone who changed me for the better,'' Weiss said before music started playing. She then started to sing, which captivated everyone in the audience.

However, there was one person that was not listening to the song and it was Ruby. The redhead tried to listen to her partner's singing at first, but then she started noticing things that disturbed her greatly. First she noticed that a large number of people seemed to be dressed up as her. These people were the members of the Ruby fan club, who decided to show their dedication to their idol by dressing up as her. Add the fact that many of them were giving Ruby all sorts of ''looks'' and you could see why the redhead was disturbed by this greatly.

The second thing that Ruby noticed was a small group of people putting something in the drinks. She even saw someone drink it and their behavior seemed to change dramatically. It was especially bad with the Ruby fan club members, whose looks on the redhead became even more disturbing.

Ruby knew that she was supposed to be there for Weiss, as she had promised her friend that she would be there. However, with the way things were going, she needed to get out. By pushing her Semblance to it's fullest, Ruby ran away from the party, hoping that she could make it up to Weiss someway.

Meanwhile, Weiss had just finished her song and the crowd was applauding her greatly. She stepped down from the stage, expecting to see Ruby walk up to her and praise her skills. Unfortunately she didn't see her partner anywhere. She looked for her, but was unable to find the redheaded girl anywhere.

While Weiss was looking for her partner, there was sudden commotion at the entrance to the hall. The heiress turned to look at it and her eyes went wide at what she saw. Glynda Goodwitch was there, in her own costume. The blonde teacher had was dressed as a vampire with her outfit consisting of a long black dress that showed her legs, black high-heeled boots, fingerless gloves that went past her elbows and a red cape. Glynda also had her hair down, was wearing contact lenses that turned her eyes red instead of her normal glasses and a pair of plastic fangs in her mouth.

The teacher walked around with some extra sway in her hips, which caused a lot of people to turn and stare at her. However, she was not there to impress all of these people. She was there to impress a certain young redhead.

Glynda spotted a familiar red cloak in the sea of people and smirked. She started to make her way towards her target, completely certain that she would get what she wanted.

''And what do we have here?'' the teacher said in a seductive voice as she got behind the girl, put her hand on her shoulder and started to turn her around. ''Looks like I caught myself a-''

The rest of Glynda's words died in her throat as she finally turned the girl around and saw that it was not Ruby. Instead, it was some girl with bright pink hair and big glasses that was definitely not her beloved student. The blonde woman looked around herself and noticed just how many people were dressed like Ruby for the party.

''What the-? How-? Why!?'' Glynda sputtered as she looked around trying to find the real Ruby.

Meanwhile, Weiss was smirking at the teacher's failure at finding her partner. She then noticed someone sitting on a couch that had been brought there, away from the commotion with their back turned towards everything. This person was also wearing a red cloak similar to Ruby's. The heiress was certain that this was the real Ruby as the redhead was so shy that she would try to stay away from people at a party. Weiss started to make her way to this person, thinking that her victory was certain.

''You know, I hope you at least watched my performance, Ruby,'' the heiress said once she reached the person with the red cloak.

''I'm not Ruby, Weiss,'' the person answered in a rather masculine tone, surprising the white-haired girl.

''W-What?''

The person that Weiss thought was Ruby turned around to reveal his identity as none other than Yatsuhashi from team CFVY. The large man was wearing an outfit similar to Ruby's.

''Before you ask, no I'm not part of the Ruby fan club. I'm just a person with tastes that might seem weird to you and I just happen to admire your team's leader quite a bit, like many others. I just thought I'd show that along with my other side,'' Yatsuhashi explained before turning away from the stunned heiress.

Both Weiss and Glynda spent the rest of that night looking for Ruby, who had already left.

* * *

In another part of Beacon, Ruby walking as far away from the party as she could. While she regretted leaving Weiss behind, the sight of all those people dressed up as herself was too scary for her. Right now, the young redhead just wanted to get away from those people.

''Ms. Rose, what are you doing here?'' Winter's voice called out to Ruby, making her stop. ''I thought that you would be at the party.''

''Well, I was there, but-'' the redhead began to say, but stopped once she noticed the outfit the soldier was wearing. Winter was wearing a white suit with a red vest under her jacket and a black tie. She also had plastic horns on her forehead and a devil's tail on her back.

''I see that you like my costume,'' the white-haired woman said with a chuckle as she walked up to Ruby. ''Now, since you're not at the party anymore, how about we go have fun for ourselves? There's this bookstore that has a certain event I'm sure you'll like.''

''I... ummm... That sounds nice,'' the young team leader managed to say.

''Splendid!'' Winter said cheerfully and grabbed Ruby's arm. ''Let's not waste any time and-''

''Ruby? Where are you going?'' Blake's voice called out, making both Ruby and Winter turn to look at her. Once the two saw her, their eyes went wide. The cat faunus was wearing an oversized cat outfit, similar to the outfits theme park mascots wear. Blake had her head sticking from the outfit, which made her look ridiculous as it made the costume look even larger.

''M-Ms. Belladonna. How nice t-to see you,'' Winter managed to say while holding back her laughter. ''T-That's quite the outfit you have there. Are you sure it's not too large for you?''

Blake was about to answer, but was cut off by a red blur tackling her into a hug.

''Oh my gosh, Blake, you're so cute!'' Ruby said as she hugged her teammate as tight as she could. ''You're so fluffy and soft and just adorable! I love your costume!''

The cat faunus returned the hug and smirked at Winter. This had been her plan all along. She knew that Ruby would find her outfit cute and wouldn't be able to resist hugging her. Blake was certain that everyone else would try something that was more along the lines of sexy, which would make her outfit stand out in Ruby's mind.

Winter grumbled in jealousy as she could only watch one of her rivals get hugged by the girl she loved.

* * *

The trio of ladies were soon on their way to the bookstore. During their trip there, Winter and Blake kept competing for Ruby's attention with the cat faunus clearly winning. While the white-haired woman was clearly the one with the more sexier outfit, she was also somewhat intimidating to the young redhead. On the other hand, the cat faunus' outfit was more ''safe'' to Ruby, which made it easier for her to cling onto. Winter could only look on with jealousy as Blake got practically all of Ruby's attention.

The three ladies eventually made it to the bookstore, where they had set up chairs in front of a stage. The trio took their seats with Winter sitting to Ruby's left and Blake to her right. Eventually the lights were turned off with the exception of the stage and a man walked up there. He had a chair there where he sat on and he pulled out a microphone to speak to the crowd.

''Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. And welcome to our Halloween night of frights,'' the man began as he got his book ready. There was some smoke coming up and scary music playing to create the perfect atmosphere for the event. ''Let us begin our tale, The Man Who Cried Grimm.''

As soon as the man began reading, Ruby was captivated by the story. However, her companions were not concentrated on the story at all. Instead, they were staring at the young redhead sitting between them. Both of them were waiting for Ruby to get scared by the story and go to either of them for comfort.

''Ms. Rose,'' Winter whispered to the young team leader. ''If you get scared at all, do not hesitate to go to me for comfort.''

''Oh, thank you for the offer, but-''

''I think Ruby would prefer going to me for that,'' Blake whispered back, cutting off Ruby's response. ''After all, she knows she can trust me and I'm much more comfortable to hug.''

''Ummm... While I'm not denying what you said, I really don't-''

''And just how would you be more comfortable than me?'' Winter whispered angrily as she glared at Blake. ''After all, I am a high-ranking officer in the Atlesian military and a lot more skilled Huntress than you. I'm certain that Ms. Rose would be much safer in my care.''

''Seriously you two, there's no need-''

''While you might be more experienced than me, I don't think that would guarantee her feeling of safety,'' the cat faunus said with anger clear in her voice. ''You see, I'm one of her teammates and she knows she can trust me. On the other hand, the Schnee name isn't exactly the most trustworthy these days.''

''Hey, there's no need for-''

''Are you perhaps implying that I'm like my father?'' the soldier practically growled out. ''I'll have you know that I am nothing like him. Don't you ever dare even think I'm like that.''

''The corrupt family aside, you're still part of Remnant's biggest corrupt force. Or are all those news about bribed military officials and stories about the military's war crimes not true?''

''Why you little-!''

Before either Blake or Winter could throw the first punch, both ladies were grabbed by the back of their outfits and pulled away from each other. They were lifted up by two large, muscular men that were providing security for the event.

''Would one of you mind and tell why you two are actively ruining everybody's time here?'' the man holding Winter asked. Both the soldier and the cat faunus looked around themselves and noticed that the crowd and the man reading his book were currently glaring at them, obviously not pleased with how they were acting.

''She started it!'' both Blake and Winter yelled at the same time while pointing at each other.

Ruby let out a sigh and said, ''How about we just leave and let everybody else enjoy the story? I'm sorry about the commotion we caused.''

* * *

A bit later, the three ladies were heading back towards Beacon with Ruby leading and the older ladies following her. Blake and Winter were glaring at each other as they were walking. Both of them blamed each other for getting kicked out of the bookstore and were not willing to admit their own fault in the whole matter.

''I must say that none of this would have happened if Ms. Belladonna had not started the whole fight,'' Winter said. ''If she had not started her baseless accusations, we would still be there, enjoying a good horror story.''

''This was my fault?'' Blake asked angrily. ''I'm pretty sure that if you hadn't overreacted at certain facts, we wouldn't have been kicked out. I'd say that you're the one to blame for this.''

Before the two arguing ladies could take their argument any further, Ruby stomped over to them angrily and glared at them. Both Blake and Winter were actually scared by the look they were getting from the redhead.

''Do you want to know who I blame!? I blame both of you! If neither of you two had started acting like complete _children,_ we might not have gotten kicked out! I don't know why you two were even arguing, but I know that it certainly was not worth all that! How about you two do me a favor and stay away from me!?'' Ruby yelled angrily at her companions before walking away angrily, leaving behind two shocked ladies.

''...How about we agree that we are both to blame and try to get past this whole incident?'' Winter asked Blake.

''Sounds good enough,'' the cat faunus answered.

* * *

Once Ruby got back to her team's dorm room, Yang turned to look at her from her bed. The blonde was sitting on her bed, looking through the candy she got while trick or treating.

''Hi, Rubes! You got here early,'' Yang said with a smile. ''How was the rest of your Halloween?''

''Well, I have to say that the time I spent with you and Cinder went good. However, the day just kept getting worse with time,'' Ruby answered in a grumpy tone. ''I get to see things that disturbed me and angered me, so I've certainly had my fill of Halloween.''

''That's unfortunate. Would you like to talk about it?'' the blonde asked in a concerned tone.

''To be honest, I just want to go to bed and hopefully forget that this whole holiday even exists,'' the redhead answered as she went to bed. ''Goodnight.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: Finally! It's done! This chapter was a real monster to do and I'm glad it's finally done. Hope it was good to you guys.**

 **I was originally going to have Ruby go trick or treating with the WBY and then go to a party with the WGC. However, THB4 suggested that I should try something a bit different with it and this is the result of that. Thanks to him for the suggestion.**

 **Also, the part with Yatsuhashi was done just for fun. If it offended anybody in any way, I offer you my deepest of apologies. I was just doing it as a joke and not as an attempt to offend anyone.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	26. Family Visit

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 26: Family Visit**

Yang Xiao Long was walking down the halls of Beacon with her shoulders slumped and a sad frown on her face. It was Saturday, the perfect day for her to spend some quality time with her beloved Ruby. However, Ozpin had decided to send the redhead on a sudden assignment, meaning that the blonde's plans for the day went all out of the window.

It wasn't exactly that Ruby had been sent on an assignment, as it was something that all of Beacon's team leaders needed to take part in. This meant that a certain Jaune Arc had also been sent away, leaving behind a very depressed Pyrrha Nikos. The amazon had apparently been doing nothing else other than sulking in a corner of her team's dorm ever since her boyfriend left.

But Yang didn't care about any of that. All she cared about was that _her_ Ruby had been sent away. And that she couldn't fulfill her plans of making the young team leader hers for good.

While the blonde was sulking about her bad luck, her Scroll suddenly let out a noise that told her that she had received a message. Yang was hoping that it was from Ruby, but was disappointed to see that it came from her dad. Thinking that the blonde man was simply sending her one of his infamous ''jokes'' again, the student opened the message and read through it.

Yang then suddenly stopped. Her eyes were wide as she read through the message again and again.

* * *

Back in team RWBY's dorm, Weiss and Blake were both sulking over the fact that Ruby had been sent away. Both girls were sitting on their beds, trying to pass the time with activities that they liked, but were unable to get immersed in them. Weiss was trying to study, but she was going slower than a snail and she kept drawing pictures of herself and Ruby, instead of taking notes like she was supposed to. Blake was trying to read through one of her favorite books, but instead of imagining the characters of the book, her mind kept bringing up images of herself and Ruby in the roles of the characters. This was especially bad in some of the more ''romantic'' parts of the book. The faunus was going to need to wash her sheets from her drool.

The door to the room was suddenly opened, causing the two girls to snap their heads in it's direction. They were hoping to see their beloved leader, but were disappointed to find their fourth teammate standing there. Both girls were about to return to what they had been doing, but noticed that there was something strange going on with Yang. The blonde's eyes were wide and she had a panicked look on her face. It was almost like she had seen a ghost.

''What is up with you?'' Weiss asked, wondering what was wrong with her teammate.

''I got a text from my dad,'' Yang answered. ''He said that he's coming for a visit.''

''So? It's not that unusual for family members to visit each other,'' Blake said before she thought about something that made her skin crawl. ''He's not bringing the dog, right?''

'No. He's coming over here with Uncle Qrow to have a talk with me.''

''About what? Your habit of wrecking clubs or the fact that you can barely pass any test that doesn't involve punching?'' Weiss asked.

''No, not because of those things! He's coming here to talk about how I've been acting around Ruby lately,'' Yang answered.

Both Weiss and Blake went wide-eyed. All this time they had been under the impression that the blonde's family had been supportive of her pursuing a romantic life with Ruby. Now it seemed like they wouldn't have to worry about one of their rivals anymore.

''What exactly do you mean by that?'' the cat faunus decided to ask for clarification.

''He said that he had heard about me being rather ''close'' with Ruby lately and wants to come here to talk about it,'' Yang said as she stared down to the ground. ''I'm sure we all know what that means.''

''Didn't you father already know about you liking Ruby as more than a sister?'' the heiress asked.

''No. It was only once I got here that I started to accept my feelings for her. Before that, I always convinced myself that I wasn't in love with her, just really close or something like that.''

Weiss and Blake shared a look. Both girls had small grins on their faces as they thought about the possibilities that this new development would provide. With Yang out of the way, there would be more chances for them to woo Ruby for themselves. Not to mention that the blonde was one of the toughest rivals in their competition for the redhead, as she had known the girl the longest. It seemed like the gods had decided to smile on them for once.

''I'm scared,'' Yang suddenly said in a voice that none of her teammates thought was possible for her.

The brawler's two teammates turned to look at her and were shocked by what they saw. Yang had tears falling from her eyes and her face was one of absolute sadness. The girl that was always an embodiment of strength and bravery had suddenly been reduced to a crying child right in front of the eyes of her teammates. It was a sight that broke the hearts of both Weiss and Blake, who decided to comfort their teammate, their previous joy having suddenly been forgotten. The two girls just couldn't stand to see their friend so broken and helpless.

''It's okay, Yang. It's okay,'' Blake said as she walked up to her partner and put her hands on her shoulders. ''I'm sure that there's nothing to really worry about. It's probably just a misunderstanding.''

''Besides, even if he suspects you of something, he doesn't have proof,'' Weiss added. ''If we just deny it all and give our own version of what has been going on, I'm sure that he won't find out.''

''Y-You guys really think so?'' Yang asked as she looked up at her teammates.

''Of course! Besides, I'm sure that your father will accept you having feelings for Ruby, once you explain yourself,'' the cat faunus answered. ''The only thing a father would want for his daughter is happiness, after all.''

The blonde pulled her two teammates into a hug while mumbling ''thank you'' over and over again. She felt that she could finally face her father and hopefully gain his acceptance over her feelings for Ruby.

* * *

The three girls decided to wait in the dorm for Yang's family to arrive. The brawler wouldn't be able to concentrate on any other activity due to being so nervous about the meeting she was about to have and the other two girls wanted to be there for her support. Each of the girls were trying to pass the time by indulging themselves in their usual hobbies, but were unable to really do anything. They were too nervous over what might soon happen.

After some time had passed, there was a knock on the door. Yang said that she would get it and slowly made her way to the door. She didn't feel like she was going to meet her family, it felt more like she was walking to wards her own execution. Once the blonde got to the door, she slowly opened it to reveal the smiling faces of her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, and uncle, Qrow Branwen.

''Hey there, Yang!'' Tai cheerfully greeted. ''How are you doing?''

''I'm doing good,'' Yang replied with a forced smile before turning to look at Qrow. ''Hi, Uncle Qrow.''

''Hey there, firecracker,'' the unshaven man said. ''Mind if we come in?''

''Sure,'' the blonde girl replied, stepping aside to let her family in. The two men walked into the room and introduced themselves to Weiss and Blake, who returned the gesture by introducing themselves in return.

''I'm sorry if I sound rude to you girls, but could you leave us alone with Yang for a couple of minutes?'' Taiyang asked his daughter's two teammates. ''Qrow and I wanted to talk with her about something.''

''Would it really be too big of a problem if we stayed?'' Blake asked carefully, wanting to be there to support her partner. ''I'm sure it's not that big of a deal.''

''Actually, this is kind of a family matter,'' the blonde man replied. ''It's a bit of a delicate thing that we wish to keep between ourselves, okay?''

Both Blake and Weiss gave Yang concerned looks, but the blonde simply nodded. It seemed that she was ready to face whatever her family was going to say, so her teammates did as they were asked and left. However, they still stayed close to the door, listening to what was going on inside the room.

Yang went to sit on Blake's bed while Taiyang sat on Weiss' bed. Qrow went to simply lean on a nearby wall. He also took out his flask, feeling that he might be needing it. The blonde girl was starting to sweat from being so nervous. She silently prayed that everything would go alright.

''So, dad, what did you exactly want to talk about?'' Yang asked while trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

''I'm pretty sure you know already, but here's something that can probably shed some light on the subject,'' Taiyang replied and took out his Scroll. He did something on it before throwing the device at his daughter, who caught it. She looked at it and saw that it was a picture of herself and Ruby, where she was hugging the redhead with her hands very close to the younger girl's chest and butt. ''Qrow sent me that picture some time ago. Now I believe that's not exactly the way people would expect sisters to hug each other.''

Yang looked at her uncle, who said, ''Sorry, kid, but Tai deserved to know. After all, he is your dad and he raised Ruby as well.''

The brawler let out a sigh and prepared herself. It seemed like it was time to tell her side of the thing. She only hoped that her family would understand her.

''I guess if I were to put it short, I don't see Ruby as my sister anymore,'' Yang began. ''For a long time now, I've been having feelings for her and I've wanted to be more like her girlfriend, not her sister. I've already told her that we are not related, which I know you probably didn't want me to do. But I can't hold back my feelings anymore. I love Ruby with all my heart and want to be together with her.''

''Yang, you should know it's not that simple,'' Taiyang said. ''Even if you aren't really related, you two still grew up as sisters and have been family all this time. To suddenly go from sisters to lovers is surely going to cause problems for the both of you.''

''I don't care!'' the blonde girl shouted, shocking her family. ''I don't care about the problems that I might face! All I care about are my feelings and what they tell me! They tell me that Ruby is the one and only for me and that I should pursue her, no matter what! I'm ready to face whatever life throws at me, because as long as I have Ruby, it will all be worth it!''

Taiyang and Qrow stared at Yang with wide eyes. The girl's eyes were burning with pure determination, showing that she had not been lying about anything that she just said. She was willing to do anything for Ruby, no matter what it might cost her.

''I know that you are most likely angry and disappointed in me, but I can't help it. I love Ruby and want her more than anything in the world. Nothing you say can change my mind,'' Yang added with tears starting to fall from her eyes. ''I'm sorry, dad.''

Taiyang sighed and scratched the back of his head before saying, ''I'm not angry or disappointed in you, Yang. I'm more... I don't know. Shocked and confused, I guess? I just honestly didn't see this happening. Every father always wonders when their little girls are going to get together with someone and who that person is. I just didn't expect it to be Ruby.''

The blonde girl looked at her father and asked, ''Then... what do you think of it then?''

''While it does feel strange to me that the two girls that have been my daughters all this time are apparently getting together, I can't say I absolutely hate it,'' the blonde man answered, surprising his daughter. ''If there's one thing that I worry about in this world, it's Ruby. I know you will be fine. You're tough, strong and skilled. But Ruby is like her mother. Too pure and innocent for this world. Ever since I lost Summer, I've been praying that Ruby wouldn't face the same fate and would stay safe. That there would be someone that would protect her at all times. And when I think about it, there is no one better suited for it than you, Yang. Please look after Ruby, alright?''

The smile on Yang's face was the brightest one she had ever had in her life. Pure happiness filled her heart from hearing her father's approval of her feelings for Ruby.

Too bad that the moment was ruined by a certain old crow.

''Stop beating around the bush, Tai. We both know that if Ruby had gotten herself any kind of a boyfriend, you would have killed them for just touching the girl. Yang is probably the only person in the world that you're comfortable to have take care of Ruby,'' Qrow said with a smirk, angering his old teammate.

''Dammit, Qrow! You ruined the tender moment we were having!'' Taiyang yelled angrily at the unshaven man.

Suddenly Yang got up from Blake's bed and knelt in front of her father. She stared at the man with a serious look on her face and said, ''Dad, if if it's alright with you, I would like to ask your blessing for me to take Ruby Rose as my girlfriend and possibly as my future wife.''

Taiyang was a bit surprised by his daughter's sudden action, but he managed to say with a smile, ''Yang, you have my utmost blessing to-''

''HOLD ON A SECOND!'' Weiss screamed as she kicked the door open and stomped in. She pushed her blonde teammate away and knelt in front of Taiyang like Yang did. ''Mr. Xiao Long, I would like to ask your blessing for me to take Ruby Rose as MY girlfriend and future wife! I'm Weiss Schnee, Ruby's partner and best friend! Not only would I keep her safe, but I would also guarantee absolute financial stability, which your daughter cannot! I think that I'm the best one for Ruby for her to get together with!''

''Wait... What-?''

''I don't think so, Weiss!'' Blake yelled as she grabbed the heiress by the back of her shirt and threw her away. She then took her turn in kneeling in front of the blond man. ''Mr. Xiao Long, I'm Blake Belladonna, one of Ruby's teammates. I know I'm a complete stranger to you, but I can assure you that I would be the best for Ruby. She knows me better than anyone else and has earned my eternal loyalty and respect. I promise you that I will treat her the way she deserves to my last breath, so I humbly asl for your blessing for me to take her as my girlfriend and future wife.''

''Hold on a second! What's going-!?''

Before Taiyang could finish his question, the window was broken and the WGC jumped into the room. Winter used the confusion caused by her group's entrance to push Blake away and kneel in front of the blonde man.

''Mr. Xiao Long, I'm Winter Schnee and I think I should be the one you entrust Ruby Rose to,'' the white-haired woman began. ''As a high-ranking member of the Atlesian military, I can promise you that no harm will come to her. If anyone were to even think about harming her, they would face the might of the greatest military force in the world.''

''Seriously, what is going-!?''

''Oh, hell no!'' Qrow yelled angrily, cutting off Tai once again. ''I refuse to let kiddo get taken by the most soulless and idiotic army in history! God only knows what you would do to her!''

''You shut your dirty mouth, Qrow! I'll have you know that-!''

The rest of Winter's threat was ended by Glynda using her Semblance to throw the officer away and take her turn in kneeling.

''Mr. Xiao Long, please allow me, Glynda Goodwitch, to take care of Ruby Rose,'' the teacher began. ''I am an experienced and skilled Huntress that will guide her through the perils of life and ensure her safety. I will also make her so strong that she will be able to protect herself.''

''But aren't you a-?''

Glynda suddenly had to jump up and run away as her cloak was set on fire by none other than Cinder Fall. It was finally the raven-haired woman's turn to ask for Taiyang's blessing.

''Mr. Xiao Long, my name is Cinder Fall and-''

''Hold on a second!'' Qrow suddenly called out. ''Have I seen you somewhere before!?''

Cinder started to nervously sweat, fearing that the old crow might have recognized her from the time she attacked the Fall Maiden.

''Ummm... I think you might be mistaken,'' the villainess mumbled while avoiding eye contact with Qrow.

The unshaven man stared at the Cinder for a moment, before he suddenly said, ''Oh, now I remember! You're that waitress from that one shady club in the slums of Vale! The one where they wear those tight, weird super villain type outfits!''

''Oh, for the love of-! WHY DOES EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT THAT PLACE!?'' Cinder screamed angrily.

Soon the whole dorm room was engulfed in complete chaos as the members of both the WBY and WGC started fighting among each other. They were arguing over which one of them would be the best one to have Ruby in Taiyang's eyes. However, said blonde man could only stare at the fighting women with wide eyes as his brain tried to process just what was going on. He had come to Beacon to talk about his daughter's feelings for Ruby, not to witness an open war between several ladies that wanted the redhead. To say the least, his mind had difficulty grasping the situation in front of his eyes.

''JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?'' Taiyang finally yelled.

* * *

''Oh, lighten up, Tai! You should be happy that Ruby's popular with the ladies!'' Qrow said with a smirk. ''Especially when they're real beauties.''

The two men were currently in a club, sitting at the bar and getting drunk. Once Tai had finally gotten the full picture of what was going on in Ruby's life, he had been left in a shocked state, unable to talk properly to anyone. Qrow had decided that it was time for them to go and took his old friend to a club in order to ''fix'' him. The unshaven man was happily downing drinks, while the blonde man was slumped over the counter in a depressed mood with his drink untouched.

''Easy for you to say, Qrow! You're not the one that raised Ruby!'' Tai said angrily at his companion. ''I can't help but see her as my daughter and now she's being chased by a bunch of lovestruck lunatics! Glynda and Winter are adults even! ADULTS! Couldn't they chase women that are more closer to their age!? Poor Ruby is going to get torn apart by them!''

''I think you're worrying too much, like usual,'' Qrow said as he took a sip from his drink. ''If anything, those ladies would rather die than let even one hair on Ruby's head to get damaged. Trust me on this, she's in no trouble at all. I'm personally more worried about the poor bastards that might try to take Ruby away from them. I can't imagine them surviving.''

The blonde man looked up from his drink to glare at the old crow. ''You knew about this, didn't you? You freaking knew that Ruby had six people chasing after her and didn't tell me anything about it.''

Qrow playfully threw up his hands in a sign of him surrendering. ''Guilty as charged,'' he said with a chuckle. ''Anyways, shouldn't we start discussing this a bit more seriously? I think we should start picking favorites right away.''

''What are you-?''

''Don't get me wrong. I'm hoping that everything goes well with Yang, but we should also try to consider things more on Ruby's side as well. After all, we have six candidates to pick from, so our family might not necessarily be the best.''

Tai's body froze as he realized what his old teammate was talking about.

''Personally, the one I like the least is Winter. I'd trust the criminals in the slums more than that damn Atlesian military she works for. Her sister is a close second in my personal dislike list of Ruby's suitors, but I could see her providing some good bonuses,'' Qrow explained as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ''Heh heh. I think I could get to finally taste that rich people booze through her.''

Tai's eye twitched as he listened to the crow's talking.

''Cinder and Blake are strange cases, though. I can tell with just a look that they've got some things to hide. But then again, who doesn't? It also looks like Ruby has a somewhat positive effect on them, so I guess it's all good. I just wonder where I've seen that Cinder lady before. I can't help but feel it's important.''

The blonde man's frown deepened and he started gritting his teeth.

''The there's Yang, who is probably my personal number two out of the six. I mean, she's family, so I hope everything goes well with her. But I have to say that Glynda is my number one right now!'' Qrow said with a big grin. ''I mean, talk about a hot teacher! If I was her student, I wouldn't mind staying in detention at all! And her weapon is a riding crop! I bet she's into some really kinky stuff that Ruby will definitely like!''

''GRRAAAAHH!'' Taiyang roared as his patience had reached it's limit. He smashed the counter with his fists, destroying it completely, before turning his attention to a shocked, old crow.

''Easy there, Tai. You know I was just messing with you, right?'' Qrow tried to say in his defense, but the blonde man wasn't listening. Instead, he got punched so hard that he flew up to the DJ, smashing the musician's set completely. The unshaven man got up and glared at his old teammate. ''Alright then! Bring it on, you little bitch!''

The two men began fighting in the middle of the club, breaking everything around them. The guards tried their best to stop them, but only ended up getting beaten to the ground themselves. The club's owner himself was watching the whole thing on the side with tears in his eyes as his precious club was getting torn apart once again.

''Goddammit! GODDAMMIT! Why!? Why does my club need to get wrecked again!? I just got it fixed after blondie destroyed it! Are these two related to her or something!?'' Junior screamed as he couldn't do anything to stop the destruction caused by the two Huntsmen.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This was something that was suggested by DemonicOrder. I hope they like it. This was also to everyone that wanted to see more Qrow.**

 **I need to make a small announcement here. I'm going to start writing another four-part story again, but I won't return to this story for a while. The reason for this is that I'm going to be taking a small break from writing fanfiction completely. I've just been working on so many things lately that my enthusiasm has gotten pretty drained, so I hope you can understand my need for a break. I don't know how long it will be, but I doubt it will be too long.**

 **However, I will still be on this site, so you can PM me for pretty much anything. I'll try to answer as soon as possible. You can send me questions, suggestions or just chat with me. I won't ignore you. :)**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	27. Baby Talk

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 27: Baby Talk**

Where ever Ruby Rose went, chaos and mayhem were practically sure to follow. It wasn't because of the young team leader either. It was only thanks to her teammates, and the WGC occasionally, following her and fighting over her affections that such unfortunate things happened around her. Ruby was almost never able to spend her time peacefully, thanks to being surrounded by people like that.

However, right now the young rose was able to be at peace, which was extremely rare. Both the members of the WBY and the WGC were all busy with other things, leaving Ruby alone for once. The redhead was honestly grateful for once having the opportunity to spend time peacefully and had decided to start by watching some shows on her Scroll while sitting under a tree in the front yard of Beacon. While not the most exciting thing to do, it was still very relaxing. Not to mention, Ruby had fallen behind on a few series, so this was a good opportunity to catch up on them.

As the young team leader scrolled through the list of series, she noticed something on the side. It was a link to a news site, saying something about a great breakthrough in science. This made Ruby curious, so she decided to press on it and see what it was about. The link took her to the news site, where there was immediately a video ready to be watched. The redhead played the video, not knowing what kind of a surprise she was in for.

 _''In other news. a great breakthrough has been made in one of SDC's research facilities,''_ the reporter on the screen said, catching Ruby's attention. She was obviously interested to hear what her partner's company was up to. _''The scientists working there have apparently discovered a possible way for couples of same gender to have children together. While they have said that this is still only speculation and that they haven't yet been able to test it properly, the possibilities from this are phenomenal. They say that it would greatly help gay couples everywhere, as they often face problems when trying to adopt children.''_

Ruby practically stopped listening at that point. Ever since she discovered that she herself was into girls, she had always wondered if she could become a mother. The idea had always been an interest to the redhead, but she had often heard that gay couples were often not allowed to adopt children. This caused Ruby to think that she would never be able to raise children of her own, no matter what. However, now it seemed like that wasn't the case at all. It seemed like the young team leader would one day get the chance to try be as great of a parent as her own mother had been to her.

Now all she needed was someone to have children with. Little did she know that she had multiple people more than willing to fill that role.

* * *

Back in team RWBY's dorm, the three older girls of the team were surprisingly quiet for once. That didn't mean that things were peaceful between the three girls. In fact, the trio was once again locked into one of their competitions over their beloved team leader. The WBY were sitting on the floor in the middle of the room in a small circle. All three girls were glaring at each other, like they were readying themselves for a fight. There was also a hammer in the middle of their circle, waiting to be used.

''Are we really doing this?'' Blake asked with hesitation in her voice. She might be willing to do anything for Ruby, but the thing they were doing now didn't seem exactly smart. ''Honestly, where did you even learn this, Yang?''

''Hey, I've been through quite a few shady places in my life, so you pick up some things along the way,'' the blonde replied with a smirk. ''Getting scared already?''

''No! I'm just... curious! That's all!'' the cat faunus said defiantly, trying to hide her fear. She then turned her attention to her white-haired teammate. ''Why did you agree on this anyway?! I would have thought that these types of things would be too barbaric for your tastes!''

''A true Schnee never backs down from a challenge. Not to mention, I feel like I get to unleash some pent up frustration's against you two,'' Weiss answered. ''Anyways, Yang, what was this game again?''

''It's the rock-paper-scissors hammer endurance!'' the blonde said with a big grin. ''What we need to do is play rock-paper-scissors and the winner gets to hit the losers on their hands with the hammer! The ones who back away lose.''

''And the winner gets to pursue Ruby for a whole week without any interference from the losers, right? Sounds like a good deal to me. Not only do I get to win over the heart of MY Ruby, but I get to give you two something you've had coming for some time now,'' the heiress said with an evil grin, the idea of hurting her rivals sounding very good to her right now.

''That's if you win the rock-paper-scissors game first, princess. Remember that it's possible I get to swing the hammer, and I won't be holding back,'' Yang shot back with an equally evil grin on her face. ''You two ready?''

Both Weiss and Blake nodded and got ready. At the same time, the three girls thrust their hands in the middle of their circle, all showing one of the three things they each chose. Weiss and Blake both chose scissors. Yang chose rock.

''YES!'' the brawler cheered and grabbed the hammer. ''Put them on the floor!''

 _'I knew this was a bad idea!'_ Blake thought to herself as she put her shaking hand on the floor, waiting for her partner's strike.

''Do your worst to me!'' Weiss yelled as she slammed her hand on the floor. ''I'll have you know that nothing you do to me is going to scare me! I'm willing to face anything for the sake of Ruby!''

''Oh, really?'' Yang asked with a sweet smile on her face and her eyes closed. She then opened them and revealed them to have turned red, and her face took on an insane grin as well. The blonde raised the hammer up in the air and said, ''We'll see if you're saying that after I've smashed your hands into mush!''

Just as the hammer was about to be brought down, the door to the dorm opened, stopping Yang right on her tracks. The three girls turned to look at the door to see their last member there, looking rather thoughtful at the moment. Ruby soon noticed her teammates staring at her and the strange position they were in.

''What are you guys doing?'' the redhead asked.

''Oh... We were just... ummm... Playing a clapping game! Yeah!'' Yang said as she quickly hid the hammer behind her back. ''It's a little game where you sing an old nursery rhyme while clapping your hands together with your friends!''

Ruby watched as the three older girls put on a really bad and unconvincing show of their supposed ''clapping game.'' The trio tried their best to sing and do their clapping in sync with each other, but couldn't really do it. They were unable to even sing the same song properly and ended up accidentally slapping each other a couple of times as well. A couple of those ''accidental'' slaps didn't even seem all that accidental either.

''Ooookay?'' Ruby said as she started to slowly open the door again, wanting to get away from her strangely acting teammates. ''Well, I was thinking of asking about something from you guys, but I see that you're too busy with... whatever this is. I think I'll go ask Winter. Or Glynda. Or Cinder.''

''ABSOLUTELY NOT!'' the WBY yelled in unison as they dashed between Ruby and the door, cutting off the younger girl's escape route.

''Ruby, as your teammates, we demand that you come to us first whenever there is something bothering you!'' Weiss said sternly. ''You absolutely must NOT go to Winter!''

''Or Glynda!'' Yang added.

''Or Cinder!'' Blake stated.

Ruby stood still for a moment, staring at her friends with wide and scared eyes. The way the three older girls were acting was honestly scaring her, which meant that she was going to comply with their demands. The redhead feared what would happen if she didn't.

''W-Well... The thing is that I was on my Scroll when I found out something interesting,'' Ruby told the WBY. ''It was about a discovery that was made in one of SDC's research facilities.''

''One of my family company's facilities?'' Weiss asked with excitement starting to build up within her. ''What was it about?''

''Apparently, they have possibly found a way for couples of the same gender to have children together,'' the young team leader answered, making her teammates go wide-eyed. ''I don't know the full details yet, but I think they said that they could possibly have positive results very soon.''

''A-And if I may ask, what do you think about this?'' Blake asked with her face heating up, hoping for a certain answer from the younger girl.

''Well, I think it's great that couples of the same gender get a chance to experience the same thing that straight couples do. I mean, I've been wondering about being a mom,'' Ruby explained, making the three older girls turn very red and very happy. ''If I were to be a mom, I think that I would like to have two kids. One girl and one boy. I might not know all that much about boys, but I think it would be fun to have both.''

As the redhead went on to explain why she wanted both a girl and a boy as well as telling what she would do as a mom, the three older girls were having different thoughts. All of the WBY members were fantasizing about living the perfect family life with Ruby as the mom. They were imagining what their kids would be like, what kind of family activities they would have and much more. The three girls were blushing madly and had nosebleeds from the ideas alone.

''Excuse us, Ruby! We need to go have a talk with each other!'' the WBY suddenly said before running out of the dorm, leaving their team leader alone and confused.

''...What got into them?'' Ruby asked herself. She then took out her Scroll and decided to do a little bit of research on the subject of being a mother.

* * *

Once they had gotten out of the dorm, the three older girls of team RWBY ran further away from their dorm. They wanted to discuss what they had just learned about their beloved rose. The fact that Ruby was honestly interested in being a mother was something so good that none of them had expected to hear it. However, it seemed like the redhead would want to start a family with someone and the three girls each had a perfect candidate for that job.

''Did you hear that!? Ruby wants to be a mother!'' Blake said excitedly to her two teammates. ''I always thought that Ruby would make a great mother! She is such a nice and gentle soul that is just made for such a role!''

''Yeah! Rubes has certainly inherited Summer's ''mom aura.'' She's gonna be a super mom like her!'' Yang added with equal amount of excitement. ''Why didn't you ever tell us that your company was working on something so good, Weiss!?''

''Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you two are!'' Weiss replied. ''While I've been trained all my life to take over our family business one day, I haven't been introduced to every part of it just yet! There are still many things that I'm unaware of!''

''Well, it's certainly nice to see your company doing something this good. Instead of all the illegal and downright villainous things they're usually up to,'' Blake said with a smirk.

''HEY!''

''All jokes about Weiss' evil company aside, this is honestly great to hear,'' Yang stated with a big smile. ''I mean, it's nice to hear that Rubes is willing to have kids with me one of these days.''

''What do you mean with you!? She's obviously going to have them with ME!'' Blake yelled at her partner.

''I don't think so, kitty! That position is reserved to me!'' Weiss yelled.

The happiness the WBY felt mere seconds ago had suddenly been replaced with burning anger. The three girls were glaring at each other with all the hatred they could bring up. Any people that were unfortunate enough to come upon them were immediately scared off by the murderous aura the girls were giving off.

''Weiss, just because it was your family company that's responsible for this great opportunity with Ruby, it doesn't mean that you're automatically the best candidate for raising kids with her!'' Yang said in a frustrated tone. ''I mean, your heart is practically made of ice! What kind of a parent would you be!?''

''I'M NOT COLDHEARTED! I would be a perfect parent! Thanks to my own great upbringing, I would make sure that our children would become the pure embodiment of manners!'' Weiss said before she got a dreamy look on her face. ''Just imagine it. One child with red hair, the other with white hair. One is a boy and the other one is a girl. A perfect young gentleman and a perfect lady. They would address everyone properly, do their chores and would always listen to what mommy Weiss says. Oh, I can hardly wait until that dream is a reality.''

''If your idea of perfect kids is that of evil corporate owners that are no better than mobsters, the I could see you liking that sort of dream,'' Blake said with a glare, angering the white-haired girl. ''On the other hand, I would make the children into the true saviors of the future! I can already see how I would raise two adorable kittens with Ruby! They would learn to fight for justice and to make the world a better place! Through them, I'm certain that the time of both human and faunus being equal could finally be achieved!''

''So, you want to raise a couple of White Fang members for the future? I doubt that Ruby would like that,'' Yang said with a snort, causing the raven-haired girl to turn furious. ''You are both thinking about this wrong! A real loving parent shouldn't be concerned about making their children into something they want them to be! The best thing a parent can do for their children is to let them be free spirits that choose their own way! No matter what they choose, I would be there to support them with Ruby by my side! It would me my duty as their father!''

There was total silence after what the blonde girl had just said. Both Weiss and Blake simply stood still and stared at their teammate with wide eyes as they processed what she had just said.

''Yang... Did you just say that you would be their father?'' Weiss finally asked.

''You do know that you're a girl, right?'' Blake added.

''Well, of course I know that!'' Yang replied. ''However, I have heard that in order for children to grow up properly they need both parents for it! A father and a mother! Since Ruby is obviously going to be the sweet mom, I'll take the job of being the awesome dad!''

''...I guess you're speaking from experience, seeing as how you grew up without your mom,'' Weiss said blankly.

''HEY! What's that supposed to mean!?''

As the three girls got into another argument, they barely noticed Ruby walking past them. The redhead also didn't notice her teammates, as her mind was occupied by something else. It was only thanks to Blake's heightened senses that she noticed their team leader.

''Ah! Ruby!'' the cat faunus called out, causing her two other teammates to finally notice the younger girl as well. ''Where are you going?''

Upon being called out, Ruby slowly turned to look at her teammates, who were shocked by the face the redhead had. Ruby's face was one of shock and pure horror. Her eyes were wide and her face was pale. It was like she had just seen a ghost.

''Oh... Hey, guys...'' the redhead said in an empty voice, her face never breaking from the horrified expression it had. ''I'm just going outside to get some fresh air. Nothing more.''

''Is something wrong, Ruby!?'' Yang said, worried over the one she loved. ''Did something bad happen to you!?''

''I guess you could say that,'' Ruby replied as she turned to look away from her teammates. ''You see, after you guys left, I decided to do some research about being a mother and happened upon something that might have changed my view on my idea of becoming a mom.''

''Oh no,'' Weiss said with a sad look on her face, fearing that her dream of having a family life with the redhead was destroyed. ''What was it that caused such a change in you?''

''I found a video of a woman giving birth,'' Ruby answered, shocking the three older girls. The younger girl then held her head as images of what she had just seen started flashing through her mind. ''The screaming... She was in so much pain... And the blood... So... much... blood...''

''Ummm... Ruby? I know that what you've seen has been... unpleasant to say the least, but what about your dream of having children of your own and becoming a mom?'' Blake asked carefully with the other two older girls being just as curious to hear their team leader's answer.

''I don't know... I'll need to think about it,'' Ruby said before starting to walk away. ''Maybe a few years. Or maybe an eternity.''

Once the scythe-wielder was out of sight, the WBY slumped their shoulders as depression and disappointment overtook them. They had been so excited about the idea of having a family with Ruby that the idea of losing that dream was just depressing.

''Well, there goes that dream,'' Weiss said in a sad voice.

''Like all good things, this had to come to an end. Too bad that the end came way too quickly,'' Blake added in an equally sad voice.

''Well, there's only one thing to do when facing something this depressing. Go to a bar and get really drunk,'' Yang said before the trio of girls headed out of Beacon to get some much needed drinks.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This was a suggestion from Commander3428961, who wanted a chapter where Ruby would bring up the idea that she would be interested in being a mother. Hope this was to their liking and that the rest of you liked it as well.**

 **Anyways, if you have suggestions for this story, you can PM me and I'll consider them. I'll try to be in touch as much as possible, so feel free to send me a message. You can also message me for stuff other than this story, of course. I'll be sure to respond.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	28. The Witch Family

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 28: The Witch Family**

As one of the best Huntresses in the world, Glynda Goodwitch had faced many different threats. From unruly students to the biggest Grimm, she faced them without fear. The blonde teacher knew that her position demanded her to do so. If she were to be overcome with fear, what good would she be in defeating the Grimm and defending the world? And more importantly, what student would listen to her?

However, today she would face something that would make her blood run cold. Something that she saw in her worst nightmares and wouldn't be able to simply escape from.

Glynda Goodwitch would have to face her dreaded family reunion.

The teacher did love her family like anyone did. It was just that she preferred to love them from afar. Preferably from another kingdom entirely. Her family wasn't full of bad people either, like criminals or anything of the sort. Glynda's problem with them was their personalities and the fact that they were quite often focused on one thing. Her love life. They were always curious to hear if she had finally found someone to settle down with, especially her mother.

Right now, Glynda was looking at the message she had gotten on her Scroll with wide eyes and sweat running down her face. Her mother had sent her a message about their newest family meeting and was asking the teacher to bring her lover, if she were to have one. While Glynda could just go there without anyone with her like before, she really didn't want to do that. Last time she did that, she had to spend the whole day getting nagged at by everyone about how she needed to find love as soon as possible.

There was only one way Glynda could avoid a repeat of that. She just hoped that the person she was going to ask to accompany her would agree to it.

* * *

When Ruby Rose received a message from Glynda Goodwitch saying that she needed to see her as soon as possible, she was in the middle of witnessing one of her teammates' infamous fights. These fights happened so often that the redhead had learned to simply let the three older girls do their thing, while she herself would focus her attention on something else. When Ruby got the message, she first considered telling her teammates where she was going, but decided against it. Mentioning Glynda caused them to get on an even worse mood, which she never understood the reason to. Not only that, the three older girls were so focused on their fight that a bomb could blow up right next to them and they wouldn't notice it. There was literally no good reason to tell them, so Ruby didn't feel bad at all when she left the trio of older girls to their fight and headed to Glynda's office.

When the young team leader got to her destination, she had barely managed to knock on the door the first time, when it was suddenly opened and she was pulled in. The only thing Ruby's mind managed to register was that her face was getting pressed on something very soft and that there was a familiar voice thanking her.

''THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!'' Glynda yelled as fast as possible while hugging her student's face against her chest. ''You have no idea how much this means to me, Ms. Rose! You have my eternal gratitude for coming-!''

''Air... need... now...'' Ruby managed to say while her teacher continued to hug her as tightly as possible. Only when Glynda heard the redhead's plea did she realize what she was doing and let go of her.

''I'm sorry about that, Ms. Rose!'' Glynda apologized with an embarrassed blush on her face. ''It's just that I got carried away a bit. I really need your help right now, so you can probably understand my reaction to you coming here.''

''I suppose that is true,'' Ruby said while steadying her breathing after almost suffocating. ''Anyways, what exactly do you need from me? Your message just asked me to come to your office and that you needed my help.''

''It's a bit of a complicated matter, I'm afraid,'' the teacher answered. ''You see, I need you to come with me to a certain place.''

''And what might that be?''

''My family reunion.''

''...Okay, I'm afraid that I'm going to need you to explain the situation a bit better for me,'' Ruby said.

''Of course. Of course. You see, the problem that I'm facing with my family is that while they're nice people and everything, they can be a bit... too much sometimes,'' Glynda explained. ''I'm sorry if that doesn't make any sense.''

''Oh, believe me. I understand very well,'' the student said while thinking about her teammates. ''Mind explaining the situation a bit more in detail?''

''Well, there are essentially two reasons that I want you to go along with me,'' the witch answered. ''First, I need someone a bit more sensible around, so that I'm not driven completely insane by the actions of my family. Second, I kind of need you to play a special... part.''

''What kind of a part?''

''...I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.''

''WHAT!?''

* * *

After Glynda managed to explain her situation to Ruby, the redheaded girl agreed to help her teacher. While she wasn't exactly happy to fulfill such a request, she couldn't bring herself to disappoint someone dear to her. Ruby had always dreamed of being someone that helps others and her personality couldn't allow herself to simply say no. Not to mention, all of her resistance crumbled once Glynda looked like she was about to cry.

The teacher told Ruby that they would leave very soon, so she should go and pack some of her belongings immediately. Luckily for her, her teammates hadn't been in the dorm, so she didn't need to argue with them about her trip. The young team leader was certain that if she had told them what was going on, the three older girls would have prevented her from leaving, even if it meant locking her in one of the closets.

By the time Ruby reached the Bullheads, Glynda was already waiting for her there. The blonde teacher seemed to be nervous, but brightened up immediately upon seeing her student. It didn't take long until they were both on the Bullhead, heading towards Glynda's family reunion.

''So, what should I be expecting of this event of yours?'' Ruby asked. ''For example, how big is this reunion? And will there be some people that I should look out for?''

''It's not anything big. Besides us, there will be three people attending,'' Glynda answered. ''My mother, older sister and younger sister.''

''What are they like?''

''It's... probably best for you to see them for yourself,'' the teacher explained. ''I'm pretty sure that if I told you what they're like, you wouldn't believe me. I'll just warn you that they all can be quite bothersome.''

''Believe me, I know a thing or two about bothersome people,'' the redhead said, thinking about her teammates and the trouble they caused. ''I have to say that all things considered, I'm quite flattered in the end.''

''What do you mean?'' Glynda asked.

''Well, I'm sure you know quite a few people that would be good to play my role, but you still chose me. I mean, it's a bit odd that I'll be pretending to be your girlfriend, but I'm quite honored that you actually consider me good enough for this,'' Ruby explained with a slight blush.

Seeing the girl she loved blush caused the blonde witch's heart to melt. Although it was supposed to be just for show, Glynda loved the idea of showing the redheaded girl as her supposed girlfriend.

 _'Believe me, Ms. Rose. I would like you to be far more than just pretending to be my girlfriend,'_ Glynda thought to herself with a smile and a blush, wishing that their relationship was real and not just an act.

''But if there's something I regret, it's that we had to leave so soon,'' Ruby suddenly said. ''I know it would have been a pain, but I really feel like I should have told my teammates about this. I feel bad for not properly explaining the situation or even saying goodbye.''

''Oh, don't worry. I took care of that,'' the blonde teacher said with a smirk.

* * *

''WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT RUBY'S GONE WITH GOODWITCH!?'' Yang screamed as loud as she could with pure rage building up inside her. The blonde was currently with her other two teammates, who were just as unhappy as she was, getting an explanation on their missing leader from Headmaster Ozpin himself.

''I mean that Professor Goodwitch has requested the aid of Ms. Rose and that they have left. After being allowed to do that by me, of course,'' the headmaster answered while sweating a bit. While he was undoubtedly one of the strongest people in the world, the sight of the enraged WBY managed to actually scare him. ''I believe that they're already on the Bullhead as we speak.''

''For what purpose did Goodwitch request Ruby's aid!? To get to second base!?'' Yang continued to angrily yell.

''Please, you should trust Professor Goodwitch a bit more,'' Ozpin nervously said. ''She is one of the best teachers I have and is completely professional. I doubt that she would do anything that goes against her position here.''

The blonde brawler was about to say something again, but was cut off as Weiss stepped up. The heiress had a frown on her face, but was somehow still calm, despite the situation.

''Alright. We are going to let this be, seeing as there's nothing we can do about this,'' Weiss stated calmly, shocking her two teammates and making Ozpin let out a small sigh of relief. ''However, if something does happen to Ruby, I will use all the resources I have as the heiress of the SDC to punish those responsible for this. I sincerely hope that it does not come down to that.''

Ozpin gave a small nod and the three students left. Once they were gone, the headmaster slumped over his desk. He had honestly been scared of his three students through this whole affair and was relieved that he had not been harmed. Now he just hoped that Glynda wouldn't do anything bad to Ruby.

''If Glynda didn't have those pictures of me from one of our annual teachers' celebrations, I wouldn't have gotten into this mess,'' Ozpin grumbled to himself. ''Why did I have to get so drunk? Otherwise, I would have never put on a dress or have mistaken Lionheart for the most beautiful lady in the land.''

* * *

Glynda's family gathering was held at her mother's home, which was located a good distance away from the city of Vale. The building itself was located in the middle of a forest and was not very large, but enough for a family. There was also a small car outside, indicating that someone was most likely home.

''So this is where you grew up, huh? Seems like a lovely place,'' Ruby said while looking at the house in front of her.

''Thank you, Ruby,'' Glynda said with a small smile. She then noticed some slight movement in the bushes and her natural Huntress' instincts told her to be aware, as it could be Grimm. The blonde teacher drew out her riding crop and said, ''You go on ahead, Ruby. I need to take a look at something.''

The young team leader didn't know why Glynda was suddenly like this and was heading to the forest, but she shrugged it off as nothing to worry about. She then walked up to the front door of the house and knocked on it.

Ruby was expecting the door to be opened up by a blonde woman like Glynda, but was surprised to see something different. Instead of having to look up at an adult lady, the redhead had to look down at a small girl, who had similar eyes and hair as her teacher, and a similar cape on as well.

''Can I help you?'' the little girl asked.

''Hello. I'm Ruby Rose and I've come here with Glynda Goodwitch to your family reunion,'' Ruby greeted the girl with a smile.

''Glyndie? You came here with Glyndie!?'' the girl asked in an excited voice. ''Where is she!? I haven't seen her in years!''

It was at that moment that Glynda walked up to the front door with her weapon put back where it was. The blonde teacher had been worried over nothing as it had just been a regular rabbit in the woods and nothing more.

''Sorry about that. I thought I- Oof!'' Glynda said as the girl ran from the door and tackled her into a hug.

''Glyndie, I've missed you!'' the little girl said happily.

''Hey! I've told you not to call me that in front of other people!'' the teacher said with an embarrassed blush on her face.

''Awww. What's wrong with that? Your little sister has obviously missed you,'' Ruby said in a sweet voice.

''Ummm... I think you're a bit mistaken there, Ruby,'' Glynda said. ''While it's true that I have a younger sister, this is not her.''

''Really? Then who is this?''

''...This is my mom.''

''YOUR MOM!?'' Ruby cried out in shock.

''Her mom!'' the little mother declared happily before running up to the redheaded girl again. ''Hello there! I'm Glyndie's mommy, Wanda. No need to call me Mrs. Goodwitch or anything like that, just Wanda is fine.''

''A... pleasure to meet you,'' the scythe-wielder said, still not fully comprehending the situation in front of her.

Before any of the three ladies could say anything more, the sound of an engine drew their attention and told them of another visitor. It was a woman on a motorbike, who had long and flowing blonde hair, green eyes and was wearing a black leather jacket with only a black bikini top under it, very short blue denim shorts and black boots. She also had a good amount of make up on her. The woman stopped her bike near the house and got up from it.

''Gina, how many times have I told you to wear a helmet while on your bike!?'' Wanda said angrily to the new arrival.

''Plenty of times, mom. Plenty of times,'' Gina answered with a smile and turned her attention to Glynda. ''Good to see you, little sister.''

''Same goes for me... I guess,'' the blonde teacher responded. She then looked at Ruby and said, ''Ruby, this is my older sister, Gina.''

''H-Hello,'' the redheaded girl greeted the older Goodwitch sister nervously.

''And hello to you too,'' Gina said with a flirty voice as she approached Ruby. She leaned her face as close as possible to the girl and looked at her straight in the eyes, making the young team leader blush furiously. ''A rather cute one, aren't you? Just my type.''

Gina suddenly felt someone grip her shoulder very tightly and she looked behind her to see Glynda give her the most furious glare possible while holding her weapon in one hand. The teacher was obviously not pleased with her older sister, as there was a downright murderous aura surrounding her.

''Stand back, Gina. NOW,'' Glynda commanded her sister while gritting her teeth.

''Oooh. Feisty, aren't we?'' Gina said with a chuckle and stepped away from Ruby. ''No worries, though. She might have my type of a personality and everything, but I'm into young guys. Not girls.''

''Your tricks still are as unamusing as ever, sister,'' the teacher said with her anger lessening slightly, but she was still on her guard. ''You should know that there are limits.''

''And why is that, may I ask?'' the older one of the Goodwitch sisters said as she got closer to her younger sister with a sly look on her face. ''It's not like you own her or anything, right? Or could it be that you do own her and don't want other people taking your property?''

Glynda blushed furiously at her sister's words, but managed to calm herself quickly. While she knew that Ruby wasn't really her girlfriend, she still liked the idea of having her at least pretend to be that.

''Actually, yes. She is my girlfriend and I would prefer if you didn't put your dirty fingers on her,'' the teacher stated with a small smirk and a blush on her cheeks, causing Ruby to blush as well.

''Oh my gosh! REALLY!?'' Glynda's mother suddenly squealed, shocking everybody else around her. The tiny woman then ran up to her daughter's supposed girlfriend and hugged her tightly. ''I'm soooo happy that Glyndie finally found someone for herself! You take good care of her now, okay? A mommy is always worried about her little girls.''

While Glynda went to argue with her mother how she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, Gina inspected the supposed couple closely. The blonde woman couldn't yet tell what it was, but something was off about them. And she was going to find out.

''Hmmmm... Interesting,'' Gina said to herself with a small grin.

''Hmph! What is so interesting about our sister wasting her life?'' a sudden female voice said, catching everyone's attention. The newcomer was a young woman in a gray business suit that had blonde hair in a bowl cut. She also had green eyes, like the other members of the Goodwitch family, and had glasses like Glynda. ''She should focus her efforts on her work and maybe she could actually get somewhere.''

''Excuse me!?'' Glynda called out with a rather angered tone. ''I'll have you know that I'm not only a professor at Beacon, but also the headmaster's closest assistant and one of the most known Huntresses in all of Remnant!''

''If you worked on your career as much as I do, you would be the greatest Huntress in Remnant AND you would probably be running Beacon, instead of just working there.''

''Why you arrogant, little-''

''Good to see that you still have that stick up your ass, Glenda,'' Gina said dryly, not all that pleased with the newcomer's attitude. ''I'm guessing you still don't have any friends nor lovers.''

''A person like me pursues career! I don't have the time for that!'' Glenda yelled angrily at the oldest Goodwitch sister.

Ruby watched the three women argue with each other, when Wanda walked up to her with a smile on her face.

''No need to worry about them, Ruby. They're always like that,'' the Goodwitch mother said in a kind voice to the redhead. ''Those three might fight and argue a lot, but they still care about each other.''

''They're... quite different from each other,'' Ruby said while still looking at the three women with wide eyes.

''Oh yes. I believe Gina might have caused it,'' Wanda explained. ''When she became a party girl that was often found drunk in a bar, I think that served as a ''cautionary tale'' of sorts to her younger sisters. Those two then started to take their work more seriously, but I think Glynda saw how her younger sister took it a bit too seriously and loosened up a bit.''

''...I'm pretty sure that no one in Beacon had ever thought that there was someone more strict than Glynda.''

Ruby was suddenly called up by Glynda, who asked the redhead to come meet her other sister. The young team leader nervously walked up to the three women, hoping that she would make a good impression on her teacher's sisters.

''Ruby, this is Glenda, my younger sister,'' Glynda said while pointing at the younger woman. ''Try not to mind her too much, she is a bit... uptight to say the least.''

''Ummm... H-Hello,'' Ruby greeted the youngest Goodwitch sister politely and nervously.

''So this is your girlfriend, Glynda?'' Glenda asked while looking at the redhead. ''Is she perhaps a Huntress like you?''

''No, but she's training to be one,'' Glynda answered.

''In that case, I need to say some very important things to Ms. Ruby Rose here,'' the youngest of the sisters said before staring intensely at Ruby. ''Ms. Rose, you need to cut your hair shorter, as there is a 23% chance that it gets in the way of your sight, allowing a Grimm to kill you. You also need to get rid of that cloak, as there is a 34% chance of it getting caught into something. You also-''

The rest of Glenda's rant was cut off by Gina pulling her youngest sister away to whisper something in her ear.

''What are you doing!?'' the oldest sister whispered furiously. ''You're practically putting the poor girl in tears! What is wrong with you!?''

''I'm just stating facts,'' the youngest sister whispered back. ''If she means to be a great Huntress, she should fully focus her efforts in it.''

''Yeah, well, you should focus more on being a nicer person! Not for the sake of others, but for your own as well! Especially for your safety!''

''What do you mean by that?''

''Take a look at Glynda and you'll understand.''

Glenda turned to look at her other older sister and immediately felt her blood run cold. Glynda was standing behind Ruby, who was almost shedding tears, and the teacher looked downright furious. She had her weapon drawn out and was glaring at her younger sister with every bit of hatred she had.

''I'm... ummm... Sorry about what I said, Ms Rose,'' Glenda quickly said, hoping to save herself from Glynda's wrath. ''I didn't mean anything bad. It's just a bad habit of mine, that's all.''

''It's alright,'' Ruby said while wiping the corners of her eyes. ''I know that there was truth to what you said, no matter how much I don't like it.''

''Awww! No need to worry about our surly little sister here, Ruby!'' Gina said cheerfully and went to wrap an arm around the redhead's shoulders. ''She's just lonely and tries to act tough, but is really just crying for attention.''

''Gina!'' Glenda cried out. ''That's not-!''

Before another argument could break out between the sisters, Wand started clapping her hands, which brought everyone's attention to her and prevented the fighting from happening. The very small mother didn't look all that angry, but one could tell that she didn't like it that her daughters were arguing.

''Alright now. I think we are all forgetting why we're here,'' the mother said. ''We gathered here to have a family gathering, not to start a fight. We even have a guest here, so I expect you three to behave yourselves. Do you understand me or do I have to spank you all like when you were still little?''

''No, mom. We'll behave,'' the three Goodwitch sisters said in unison with their faces suddenly very pale.

''Good! That's what I want to see from you!'' Wand said happily before looking at Ruby. ''Come on then, Ruby. You're our guest, so you don't need to feel shy.''

''Sure. I'll try,'' the redhead said a bit nervously. ''By the way, did you really need to spank Glynda when she was a child?''

''Oh, plenty of times! She was a really naughty child. One time she-''

''Mom! Don't embarrass me!'' Glynda cried out.

''Cheer up, Glyn!'' Gina said as she patted her sister on the back. ''It's a pretty fun story and I'm sure it helped you find your ''interest,'' if you know what I mean.''

''GINA!''

''What interest are they talking about?'' Ruby wondered.

''Better if you find out when the time is right,'' Glenda answered to the redhead's question.

* * *

A little while later, the whole group was sitting at a table, having a nice meal. Wanda had prepared a lot of food for their reunion and it was all very well-made. During their meal, the group was chatting about all sorts of stuff that was going on in their lives, allowing Ruby to learn more about Glynda's family. Turns out that the blonde teacher's mother was a retired Huntress, and that Gina was also a Huntress and currently active. However, Glenda had not followed the rest of her family and was instead a very successful lawyer. The youngest of the three Goodwitch sisters had dedicated practically all of her life to her studies and had made a name for herself very quickly. Unfortunately, her family had a slight problem with her way of life.

''Glenda, I wish you wouldn't work so hard all the time,'' Wanda said to her daughter. ''You need to take time to relax and have fun as well.''

''Not to mention, at this rate you'll end up as one of those lonely hags with dozens of cats,'' Gina said with a smirk as she took a sip from her drink. ''When even Glynda can get a girlfriend, what's your problem?''

''What's that supposed to mean!?'' said teacher asked angrily.

Ruby watched as the sisters got into another argument. While she didn't like to see family fighting with each other, she did enjoy seeing another side of Glynda. The teacher was always so strict and professional in school that it was nice to see her loosen up a bit. Even if it came in the form of anger.

Out of the corner of her eye, Gina noticed the redheaded girl staring at them. The oldest of the sisters suddenly had an idea and stood up.

''Glynda, would you mind and come with me for a second?'' Gina asked. ''I need to talk to you about something.''

The teacher was a bit confused by this sudden request, but nodded still. She stood up and followed her older sister as the two left the room, leaving Ruby alone with the youngest sister and the mother. Said girl soon noticed both women staring at her.

''W-What is it?'' Ruby asked nervously.

''How did you and Glyndie get together!?'' Wanda asked excitedly. ''Tell me every detail!''

''I'm also curious about the specifics of my sisters relationship,'' Glenda stated.

Ruby started to sweat as she tried her best to remember the story she and Glynda had agreed upon. Hopefully she would get it right.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gina had taken Glynda to their old room. It still had some furniture and other stuff left in there from the time it was still used. It seemed that the older sister wanted some privacy for their conversation.

''What did you want to talk about, Gina?'' Glynda asked her sister.

''Okay. What's the deal with you and Ruby?'' the older sister asked back. ''Did you hire one of your students to pretend to be your girlfriend or something?''

''W-WHAT!?'' the teacher yelled with an embarrassed blush on her face. ''Of course not! Why would you think that!?''

''Oh, please. Do you think that I'm blind or something? It's obvious that you two are pretending. You two practically have a barrier between each other, like you two are afraid of getting too close. The only reason mom and Glenda haven't noticed is because one of them is too excited about her little girl finding love and the other one doesn't care. So what's going on here in reality?''

Glynda was about to deny her sister's accusations, but knew it was pointless. Despite how she looked, Gina was very perceptive. The teacher cursed herself for not realizing that her older sister was going to see the truth no matter what she tried.

''Alright, you win. We aren't really together,'' Glynda admitted. ''But it's not like I just hired her to pretend to be my girlfriend. It's actually a bit more... complicated.''

''Care to be a bit more specific?'' Gina asked.

''While I did ask her to pretend to be my girlfriend, I do honestly like her. I haven't managed to get my feelings across to her yet, but I do love her more than anything in the world. To be honest, one of the reasons I asked her to do this was so I could somewhat experience what it's like to be together with her.''

''I see. But I do have to ask, how exactly did you fall for her? No offense, but as far as I could tell, you were never really interested in romance. Only Glenda was less romantic than you.''

''Well, that happened sometime after we had gotten our new students...''

* * *

 _Glynda was sitting at a table in an empty classroom, grading papers that she had assigned for her students to write. While she did this, she could hear students walk past the classroom. The teacher could even hear their conversations, but paid no mind to them. It didn't interest her what a bunch of kids were gossiping about._

 _That's at least what she thought, until a rather loud voice could be heard talking about her._

 _''Man, Goodwitch is such a cruel tyrant!'' Yang complained on the other side of the room. ''That paper she assigned for us was a real pain in the ass! Doesn't she know at all about relaxing?''_

 _Glynda rolled her eyes at the blonde student's words. People like Yang always complained about their work and were more concerned with fun. It wasn't the first time she had met people like her._

 _''I do have to agree with Yang,'' Blake added. ''Unlike the other teachers, she seems to give us more work than necessary. I'm not surprised that she's still single.''_

 _The faunus' remark caused the teacher to tighten her grip on her pencil. It was one thing for her students to whine about their work, but it was another when they talked about something personal. What Blake had just said really hurt her._

 _''Even I feel that she overworks us!'' Weiss stated. ''Honestly, no wonder no one seems to like her!''_

 _Glynda lowered her head as she listened to the three girls laugh at her expense. She could even feel tears start to form at the corners of her eyes. The teacher would have surely begun to cry, had it not been for a certain redhead coming to her defense._

 _''Okay, that's enough, you three!'' Ruby yelled angrily at her teammates, shocking not only them but Glynda as well. ''You all know that Professor Goodwitch is simply doing her job and that we need to take our work here seriously as well, if we are to become worth anything as Huntresses!''_

 _''But Rubes... the amount of work she dumps on us...'' Yang whined, hoping to get the younger girl on her side. ''Don't you think it's too much?''_

 _''Yang, we are supposed to go out there and defend people from the worst monsters of the world! Some schoolwork is nothing compared to that! Not to mention, that work is going to help us when we do go out there and fight the Grimm!'' the redhead said back. ''Professor Goodwitch and all the other teachers are here to make sure that we can survive out there! It's very disrespectful of you to not realize that and just think about having fun!''_

 _While the three older girls were apologizing to their leader, Glynda was frozen from shock. Never before had anyone defended her like that. The fact that someone actually saw what she was trying to do touched the blonde teacher's heart._

 _It was from that point that Glynda took an interest in Ruby and started observing her more closely. And as she did this, she realized just how special the redhead truly was. This eventually turned her interest into admiration, before it finally turned into love._

* * *

''Wow... That's quite a story,'' Gina said with wide eyes.

''Yes. For the first time in my life, I had found someone that saw me as more than a strict teacher,'' Glynda said. ''Ruby is someone who can see me as something more. That is why I fell for her.''

''I'm happy that you have found someone for yourself, sis,'' the older sister said with a smile. ''But you should hurry up with getting your feelings across to her. Otherwise, I'm sure that someone else is going to take her.''

''Trust me. I know,'' the younger sister said in an angry grumble, thinking about her rivals back in Beacon.

''So, you think she's into all that kinky stuff you like or do you two have to work out a solution that works for both of you?''

''GINA!''

''What!? I found your ''secret stash'' when we were younger and your weapon is a riding crop! Don't even try to tell me that you're not into that sort of stuff!''

With their conversation over, the two sisters made their way back to where the rest of the group was. When they arrived there, they saw that the others were waiting for them. Ruby was looking at the floor with her face as red as her cloak, Wanda was looking at Glynda with a happy smile and Glenda had a disappointed frown on her face.

''Is... something wrong?'' Glynda asked, fearing what was about to happen.

''Glynda, I'm sorry, but I-'' Ruby began to apologize but was quickly cut off.

''Don't worry, Glynda!'' Wanda said excitedly as she ran up to hug her daughter. ''I will always support you with your forbidden romance, no matter what!''

''My forbidden romance!?'' the teacher cried out.

''Personally, I'm against it,'' Glenda said in a disappointed voice. ''For a teacher to start a relationship with one of their students is just a recipe for disaster. I think that you're making a terrible mistake here.''

Glynda's eyes went wide as she realized what was going on. She turned to look at Ruby, only for the redhead to look away in shame.

''Oh, quit your whining, Glenda!'' Gina said to her youngest sister. ''You're just jealous because you don't have anyone special in your life.''

''SHUT UP!''

''It seems that we have two here that support the relationship and only one against it,'' Wand said with a smile. ''I guess we win!''

''Please don't make my love life into a competition...'' Glynda mumbled.

* * *

After some time had passed, the family reunion was over and everyone was returning home. Glynda and Ruby were on a Bullhead that was heading towards Beacon and they were sitting next to each other.

''I'm sorry that you had to go through all that trouble, Ms. Rose,'' Glynda apologized to her student. ''I hope that it wasn't too bad for you.''

''Nah. It was okay. With teammates like mine, you get used to such ruckus,'' Ruby said with a smile. ''Besides, it was an enjoyable experience, to be honest.''

The teacher couldn't help but smile. It was a great relief that she hadn't burdened the young team leader too much.

''That's good to hear. I was afraid that-''

Glynda's words were cut off when Ruby suddenly laid her head on her. The blonde woman looked at the student to find her asleep. It seemed like the busy day had taken it's toll on her. However, Glynda didn't mind. She liked having the person she loved be so close to her and Ruby also deserved some rest.

 _'Maybe next time I won't be bringing Ruby there to pretend to be my girlfriend,'_ the teacher thought with a smile as she watched the redhead sleep.

* * *

Once they had returned to Beacon, Glynda and Ruby thought that they would simply be able to return to their normal lives. Unfortunately, they were wrong.

''Guys, I just want to go to the library. Is that too much to ask?'' Ruby asked in a tired tone as her teammates stood in front of her, blocking the door from her.

''You absolutely must not go there!'' Weiss yelled. ''Who knows what is out there, ready to snatch you away!''

''Yeah, Rubes! Just stay here with us! We'll keep you safe!'' Yang added.

''If it's books you need, just tell me what you want and I'll get them for you!'' Blake stated.

Ruby could only sigh. As soon as she got back from her trip with Glynda, her teammates were determined to not let her go anywhere without them. It was really frustrating to the young team leader, who couldn't understand what was wrong with her teammates.

 _'Seriously, it's like they're afraid I'm going to get kidnapped or something! I just went on a trip with Goodwitch, that's all! Why was that such a big thing?'_ Ruby wondered to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Glynda was facing her own problems. Her allies weren't exactly happy that she had gone on a trip with Ruby on her own.

''Betrayal is something that can only be atoned for with your life! Prepare yourself!'' Winter growled as she held the front of Glynda's shirt in her hand.

''Why, Glynda!? WHY!? I thought we were friends! I even gave you one of my outfits!'' Cinder whined with tears in her eyes.

 _'I really should have seen this one coming,'_ Glynda thought to herself as she looked at her allies in the WGC. It was going to be a long day for her.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry this chapter took so long. I wanted to put as much as I could into it and it became quite long in the end. Hope it was worth it!**

 **I kind of got the idea for this chapter from something else I had planned for this story. I decided to add a few things in it, like the backstory on how Glynda fell in love for Ruby, as she's the only one that didn't have that.**

 **However, there are two things I need to bring up. First, this story was always supposed to be a collection of shorts that have the WBY and the WGC compete for Ruby's heart through different ways that end up failing. It was never supposed to be anything bigger and I'm tired of people complaining about it. It's okay if you don't like it, but I'm just tired of people essentially complaining about this story being what it's supposed to be. Also, the reason I haven't had Ruby realize what is going on is because I think it would make her look bad. If she knew what was really going on, it would be terrible of her to let it go on. I don't want that so she remains oblivious until the end chapters.**

 **Second, I've been thinking about ending this story soon. I can't give any exact time, but I've been planning for the end. This story just isn't all that fun to write for me anymore and I want to move to different things. I'll still finish it, just know that the end might be near.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	29. Mansion Mission

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 29: Mansion Mission**

When Yang had told Ruby that their team would be going to a ''fun place,'' the young team leader had thought of a lot of things. Amusement parks, arcades, restaurants or even one of those shady clubs the blonde liked to visit. While a bit typical, they were the kind of places she knew she would enjoy visiting.

However, what she had NOT expected was to be taken to an abandoned mansion at the edge of the city.

The building was definitely very old, as one could telly by the architecture and of it's overall condition. The mansion's paint was chipping on several places and it seemed like it was falling to pieces. The yard itself was in bad shape as well, since the grass was growing out of control and there was trash everywhere. The only way to fix the place was to take it down at this point.

''Yang, could you tell me why we are here?'' Ruby asked the older girl as she looked at the mansion. ''I don't mean to sound rude, but my idea of a ''fun place'' does not include old buildings that are abandoned.''

''That's where you're wrong, Rubes!'' Yang replied cheerfully. ''These places do have something fun in them and that is adventure!''

''Adventure?''

''That's right. You see, there's apparently a treasure hidden inside this building and we thought it would be fun to look for it,'' the blonde explained. ''Each of us will take turns in going there to look. The winner is the one who either finds the treasure or stays there the longest.''

''Why is the length of my stay there a factor in this contest?'' the redhead asked.

''Well, it's an old and creepy building! We are also testing our courage.''

''Okay... Then, what is this treasure and how do you know it's there?''

''The treasure is a legend, but you know that every legend has it's roots in reality, right? And don't worry about recognizing it. You'll know it, when you see it.''

Ruby turned to look at her other two teammates that had come along. She had a hard time believing that either of them had agreed on this.

''Are you two seriously willing to go through this?'' the young team leader asked her two teammates.

''I don't see why not,'' Weiss replied. ''I think this might be a good way to test my skills as a Huntress.''

''I'm also okay with this,'' Blake added. ''I don't really have anything better to do and this sounds fun.''

Ruby looked at her team and saw them looking at her with excited smiles on their faces. If she were to say no, she knew that it would greatly disappoint them. The redhead could only sigh as she readied herself for what she was in for.

''Alright, I'm in,'' Ruby said with a sigh, causing her teammates to cheer. ''Who goes first?''

''You, of course!'' the three older girls replied in unison.

''Figures...''

With a deep sigh, the redhead went into the mansion. The doors let out a loud creak as she opened them, making the place even scarier. Once Ruby was inside, she closed the doors with a loud click.

As soon as the young team leader had gone into the building, her teammates looked at each other with excited smiles. Their plan was going perfectly so far.

''So, you guys do remember the deal, right?'' Yang asked her two teammates.

''Yes. The winner is the one that Ruby runs to, once she has been scared enough by that creepy mansion,'' Weiss replied. ''Whoever that is, gets to spend the rest of the night with her, cuddling her and offering protection.''

''How long do you think it will take until she comes back?'' Blake asked her partner.

''A few minutes, I'd say,'' the blonde replied with a shrug. ''I've never been inside that house, but it's really creepy. I'm sure that it manages to scare her easily.''

While the three girls were discussing their precious leader, an old faunus man happened to walk by them. He noticed the trio standing close to the old mansion and went to them.

''Hey. You three wouldn't be thinking about going inside that house?'' the old faunus asked, getting the WBY's attention. ''I wouldn't recommend it. That is not a nice place.''

''Oh, no need to worry about us,'' Weiss replied with a slight smile. ''We're just waiting for our friend, who is currently in there. She won't be there for long.''

''I sure hope so. That place has been surrounded by bad things for years,'' the man said. ''I doubt anyone can survive there for more than five minutes at best.''

''W-What do you mean by that?'' Blake asked. She and her teammates were suddenly afraid of what they might have gotten Ruby into.

''That place was built on an old faunus burial ground,'' the faunus man replied. ''Ever since that, bad things have happened in there. People have heard strange noises, seen ghostly images and some have even disappeared. I believe that the spirits of those that were buried here are behind it all.''

The WBY looked at each other with wide eyes and pale faces. They had just sent their beloved Ruby to a mansion with a history of horrifying events happening in it. The idea of the younger girl meeting a gruesome end there made their blood run cold.

''WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!'' the three girls yelled as they ran into the mansion to look for Ruby.

''Guess that will be another case of horror for this place,'' the old faunus muttered before shrugging. ''Oh well, my job's done.''

* * *

Back inside the mansion, Ruby was going around the place as fast as she could while looking around. The redhead doubted that the place had any real treasure in it and was just hoping to find something that could be viewed as such. She really wanted to get this over quickly because the place was honestly giving her the creeps. Not to mention, she also had a book back at the dorm that she really wanted to get back to.

''Man, this place is just creepy,'' Ruby mumbled to herself as she walked around the place. ''I just hope that this place doesn't suddenly collapse on me. It doesn't look like it's in the best condition.''

The redhead noticed stairs ahead of her and decided to walk up them. At the top of the stairs was a long hallway with doors on both sides. Ruby could only sigh as she knew that it would take her a long time to search all of these rooms.

''Well, I guess I can only get to it then,'' the young team leader said and went through the first door to her right.

The door led Ruby to the bathroom. There was a large bath tub in the corner of the room, a toilet and a sink with a mirror over it and a cabinet next to the mirror. Even though she doubted that the ''treasure'' was in this room, the redhead decided to still take a look around and see what she could find.

''Man, this place is dirty,'' Ruby said to herself in disgust as she inspected the filthy bathroom. ''I think I've seen public bathrooms that were more-''

''Hey, kid! Over here!'' a sudden voice called the girl. The scythe-wielder looked behind her to see no one there at first, but as her eyes went around the place, she suddenly found something staring at her. A clown's head was poking out from the toilet, staring at her. ''Come here!''

Despite knowing that it wasn't smart, Ruby walked up to the clown in the toilet and looked at it. The clown was giving her a friendly smile while staring at her in the eyes.

 _'Oh, now I get what this is about,'_ the redhead thought to herself. _'This is one of Yang's stupid pranks again. I'm guessing she set this place up with all sorts of things that are meant to scare me or something. Weiss probably helped her get this animatronic clown here to jump at me or something. Blake's probably in on this too.'_

''Why don't you come a bit closer, kid?'' the clown asked in a friendly voice. ''I want to show you something. Something that... floats.''

''Considering where you are right now, that is neither alluring or interesting. It's simply disgusting and I think we need to fix that,'' Ruby said as she reached for the toilet's handle.

''Wait! DON'T-!'' the clown yelled in panic, but was soon flushed away as the girl used the handle to flush the toilet.

''I have to say that Yang really went all the way this time,'' Ruby mumbled as she left the bathroom. ''Guess it helps to be friends with the heiress of one of the biggest companies in the world.''

When the young team leader got out, she went to open the door to the opposite room to the bathroom. Once she did this, she was immediately greeted by the sight of a tall man standing right at the door. The man was wearing a completely white mask in the shape of a human face along with a black boilersuit. He also had a very large knife in his right hand. The man was standing completely and wasn't making any noises.

''Seriously, Yang? A creepy mannequin? Did you really think that this would scare me?'' Ruby asked in a sarcastic voice before turning around and walking away.

However, the young rose failed to notice that the person she thought was a lifeless puppet was actually real, as he started to walk very quietly behind her. When the man got behind Ruby, he slowly raised up his knife, readying himself to stab the unsuspecting girl.

 ***CRASH!***

Ruby was startled by the sudden noise and turned around. However, all she saw was a large hole on the floor, right behind her.

''Geez, this place is in worse shape than I thought! It's starting to fall apart!'' the redhead said to herself before continuing her journey around the place, completely unaware of the danger she had just been in.

* * *

Meanwhile, the WBY were on the first floor of the mansion, when they heard the sound of something crashing. All three of them had their weapons drawn, prepared for any unholy monstrosity that could be coming at them.

''What was that?'' Weiss asked with fear in her voice. ''Where did that sound come from?''

''I think it came from upstairs,'' Blake answered. ''Do you think it was Ruby?''

''Only one way to find out. We go and take a look,'' Yang stated. ''Now, let's go and find Ruby, take her with us and get the hell out of here. Okay?''

Seeing both of her teammates nod, Yang started to go deeper into the mansion with the two other girls following her. As they moved forward, there was a door to their right. While the trio was not going to go through it, there was someone right behind it. This door led to the basement and a certain someone had just landed there.

The WBY turned to look at the door as it opened to reveal the same masked man that Ruby had encountered. All the girls turned pale from seeing this large man with a creepy mask and a knife suddenly appear in front of them.

''AAAAAH! IT'S A PALE WILLIAM SHATNER!'' the WBY screamed in terror as they ran away. The masked man was about to go follow them, but he fell through the floor again as soon as he took his first step through the door.

* * *

Back with Ruby, the redheaded girl had been going around the different rooms in the mansion, looking for the ''treasure'' that Yang had been talking about. She was currently in what seemed to be a bedroom. Ruby had looked around the place, but didn't find anything special. However, as she was just about to leave, she noticed a mirror that had a small note attached to it.

''Wonder what that is?'' the young team leader said to herself as she walked up to the mirror to take a closer look at the note. ''Now, let's see what this says. ''Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman?'' What's that supposed to mean?''

Just as Ruby was wondering about the strange note, a tall, dark figure appeared behind her. It was a man wearing a black robes with a hood over his head, so you couldn't see his face. The figure loomed behind the girl, who hadn't noticed him yet.

 **''Who can make the sun shine?''** the figure asked in a deep, gruff voice. Ruby slowly turned around and went wide-eyed upon seeing the person behind her. **''Do you want some candy, kid?''**

''Ummm... S-Sure?'' the redhead answered with fear in her voice.

 **''Here you go, kid,''** the hooded figure said and handed Ruby a bag. She took it and looked inside to see a lot of candy in there, which immediately brought a smile to her face.

''Wow! Thanks, mister!'' Ruby said in a happy tone, her previous fear completely gone.

 **''No problem. Sorry if I scared you. I'm a bit ill at the moment and my throat is very sore thanks to that. I'm also wearing this robe to keep myself warm, so it doesn't get worse,''** the hooded figure explained.

''Awww. I'm sorry to hear that. Hope you get well soon.''

 **''Thanks. By the way, why are you here anyway? This isn't exactly a safe place for a young girl like you.''**

''Oh, I know. It's just that my teammates had this idea for a game that involves us taking turns in coming here and looking for a treasure here.''

 **''Treasure? Hmmm... I think there might be something like that here. It's in the study room. Go down the hallway, turn left and go through the lounge. There's a room after that with all sorts of strange stuff, but I think what you're looking for is on the desk there.''**

''Wow! Free candy and a hint? Thanks, mister! You're a real lifesaver!''

 **''No problem. I think I'll go see those teammates of yours and ask if they want any candy.''**

''That's a good idea! Anyways, I better get going,'' Ruby said as she walked out of the room. ''See you around!''

* * *

Back with the WBY, the three girls were panting as they had ran as fast as they could from the masked man. The trio didn't look at all where they were going. They just wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the man as possible.

''Did we lose him?'' Weiss asked while panting.

''I think so. I at least can't see him anywhere,'' Blake answered.

''Okay. We definitely need to get Ruby out of here. God only knows what else lies around here,'' Yang said while thinking about their youngest teammate.

 **''Hey, kids,''** a deep, gruff voice asked from behind the girls, causing them to pale and look behind them. There stood the same hooded figure that Ruby had just met not too long ago. **''Want some candy?''**

''AAAAAAHHH!'' the WBY screamed as they ran away, fearing for their lives.

 **''Hey! Wait!''** the hooded figure called after the girls, only for them to keep running away. Once they were gone, the figure let out a sad sigh and said, **''Maybe I should have taken the day off. At least until my throat got better.''**

* * *

While her teammates were running around in horror, Ruby was heading towards the place she had been told had the treasure in it. However, she failed to notice that she was being followed by someone again. This time it was a man wearing a red and green striped sweater, a brown hat, black pants and brown shoes. But what really stood out from this person was that his skin was burned and that he had metal-clawed glove on his right hand.

''One, two, he's coming for you,'' the man said in a singing voice, causing Ruby to turn to look at him. ''Three, four, better-''

''Oh my God! You poor thing!'' the redheaded girl suddenly screamed, cutting the man off and surprising him. ''What happened to you!?''

''I... What?'' the burned man said in a dumbfounded voice, not able to comprehend what was going on.

''We need to take care of you right now!'' Ruby said as she went to grab the man's hand and drag him behind her. ''Come on! Let's get you fixed up!''

''Hey, wait! This isn't how it's supposed to go!''

Pretty soon the burned man was sitting on a bed while being treated by the redhead. Ruby had managed to find a medical kit from one of the rooms and was now applying cream on the man's burns and wrapping him up in bandages.

''Okay. Just a bit more and we should be all set here,'' Ruby said while wrapping a bandage around her patient's hand.

''Do you have any idea who I am!?'' the burned man yelled angrily.

''Someone that needs help and as a Huntress, I must do that. Now be a good patient or you won't be getting your lollipop.''

The man crossed his arms over his chest and grumbled angrily, ''I better get my freaking lollipop.''

A little while later, Ruby was done treating the man and left the room to go searching for the treasure Yang apparently wanted to find. As she turned to go towards the room she had been instructed to go to, she bumped into someone. The redhead looked up to see a very large man wearing a hockey mask in front of her.

 _'Must be an actor that Weiss hired to scare me or something,'_ Ruby thought to herself. ''Sorry, pal, but I don't think your act will work. How about I give you small payment for your troubles and we both go our separate ways?''

The young team leader handed the hockey masked man a lollipop from the bag of candy she had gotten. The man took it and looked at it while the girl went past him. Once Ruby was gone, the man took the wrappings off the piece of candy and put it through one of the holes in his mask and into his mouth.

* * *

Back with the WBY, the three girls had just stopped running from the hooded figure. All of them were panting heavily and were completely pale from fear.

''This just keeps getting worse and worse!'' Weiss said in a terrified voice.

''We have to get out of here!'' Blake said.

''Not until we find Ruby!'' Yang yelled at her two teammates.

Just as the WBY were going to go and continue their search for their missing team leader, they heard two sets of footsteps approaching them. They looked at where the sound was coming from and saw two men walking towards them. One of them was wrapped in bandages and the other one was wearing a hockey mask, and they seemed to be in an argument of some sort, as only one of them was actually talking.

''I still say it's a load of crap that you got the bigger lollipop!'' the bandaged man said angrily to his companion. ''What makes you better than me!?''

''...''

''Oh, don't you even try pulling that! If she knew what you did to me when we met the first time, I'm sure she wouldn't have given you anything!''

''...''

''Why you little-!''

''AAAAAAHHHH!'' the WBY screamed as they ran away from the two men in fear.

'''...You wanna go after them?'' the bandaged man asked his companion, who simply shook his head as an answer. The two of them then sat on the floor and leaned on the wall to enjoy the sugary treats they had just gotten from a certain redhead.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ruby had just arrived at the lounge that came before the study room that supposedly had the thing she was looking for. The young team leader looked around the lounge a bit and noticed a TV there. Curious to see if it was still working, she walked up to it and turned it on. However, all that came up was a black screen with a strange white ring in the middle.

''Man, the programs these days have gone downhill in terms of quality,'' Ruby said to herself as she turned off the TV and continued on her way to the study room.

Just as the redhead left, her three teammates came to the lounge, looking more exhausted than before.

''My God! How much more of this horror can we take!?'' Weiss asked while panting heavily.

''As much as we need until we find Ruby and get the hell out of here!'' Blake answered.

Yang was about to say something, but she noticed the TV in the room. The blonde found it's remote on a nearby table and used it to turn it on. At first there was just an image of a black screen with a white ring before it suddenly changed. Now they saw a black and white picture of a well in the middle of a forest. Soon, a very creepy girl emerged from the well and started to walk towards the screen. To the horror of the WBY, the girl seemed to try and get out of the TV.

''Quick! Change the channel!'' Weiss screamed at Yang, who did as she was told.

 _''We now return to Big Brother, where our contestants keep making complete asses of themselves!''_ came from the TV as the channel was changed.

''AAAAHHH!'' the WBY screamed in horror and Yang changed the channel back to the creepy girl at the well. At first the three girls let out a sigh of relief, but their relief was shortlived as the girl started to actually crawl out from the screen.

However, before the girl managed to fully come out of the screen, Blake went and unplugged the TV, leaving the lower half of the girl's body stuck behind the screen.

''Quick! Let's get out of here before she manages to free herself!'' the cat faunus said and the three girls continued to the next room.

The WBY entered the next room and shut the door very loudly. They looked around themselves and let out a scream as they saw what was around them. There were what seemed to be statues of all sorts of scary creatures. There was a very large tarantula, a creature that looked like a masked alien hunter and a black creature that seemed to have another mouth on it's tongue. The trio of girls at least hoped that they were statues, as they seemed very real.

''Guys? What are you doing here?'' came the surprised voice of Ruby Rose, causing the WBY to look at her. ''I thought that you were supposed to come here after me.''

''Well, you see... Ummm... We were worried that... something might... happen to you,'' Yang said while thinking of a good excuse. ''We thought that this place might be in too bad of a shape, so we came looking for you!''

''That's right!'' Weiss exclaimed. ''That's exactly why we're here! Nothing else!''

''...Okay?'' Ruby said, a bit unsure about believing the words of her teammates. ''Anyways, I think our little game is over. I found the treasure.''

''Wait, seriously?'' Blake asked as she thought that the whole thing had been made up by Yang. She looked at the blonde to see her just as confused as she was.

''Yeah! I found it on the desk!'' the redhead said excitedly as she dug through her pockets and pulled out a small puzzle box. ''I'm not sure what it is, but I'm going to solve this and see what it has to offer!''

The WBY looked at the box with wide and horrified eyes. After everything they had been through, they were certain that anything inside the mansion was bound to cause something horrible to happen. Whatever this puzzle box was, it couldn't be good and the three girls didn't want to find out about it.

''Actually, you know what, Ruby?'' Yang said in a hurry as she went and took the box from the younger girl. ''I think that sometimes it's best to leave some mysteries in the world, you know? We don't need to know everything there is to know.''

''I guess, but- Hey! What are you doing!?'' Ruby yelled as she saw the blonde throw the puzzle box through the window with all her might.

''It's for the greater good, Ruby. Trust me,'' Yang said reassuringly before she, Weiss and Blake picked up their beloved leader and carried her out of the mansion as fast as possible.

* * *

Meanwhile, Roman Torchwick and his assistant, Neo, were walking near the old mansion that team RWBY had just been exploring. The two criminals had managed to escape from prison and were on their way back to doing crime.

''Ah! It feels great to be a free man again! After being locked up, I'm able to go back to being the genius thief that I am! I think I'll start by visiting that Dust store where I met-'' Roman said to himself happily until he was cut off by something hitting his head and knocking him down. Neo went to inspect the object and found out that it was a strange puzzle box.

 _''Well, this seems interesting,''_ Neo said by using one of her signs while Roman got up.

''Just as I was having a good time, something has to ruin it,'' the thief grumbled angrily. He then noticed the box his assistant was holding and immediately took it from her. ''Now, what's this? What do my eyes see? A rather valuable looking antique? My, I have to say that this day keeps getting better! Come with me, Neo! Let's go see what this box is all about!''

Roman walked away happily with Neo, thinking that this day was his lucky day. Unfortunately, he didn't have any clue what the puzzle box really was. Otherwise he would have thrown it away.

* * *

 **Author's notes: I think I need to make a really important disclaimer here. To all the kids out there, do not do the same mistake Ruby did in this chapter. You should never accept candy from strangers, as you never know what it is or where it has been.**

 **This was originally a suggestion from Beloved Nightmare Union. It was suggested to me as a Halloween chapter, but since I already had plans for that, it didn't get written then. The suggestion involved the WBY trying to scare Ruby with a haunted mansion and then see who she would cling to. I took the idea and spun it around a bit, turning it into what it is now. I decided to put a few horror movie references in here. I had fun thinking of all the stuff that I decided to include and I hope you had as much fun as I did.**

 **Did you catch all the horror movie references? The box Roman got at the end was also one of them. Tell me in the reviews which ones you found.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	30. The Three Stooges

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 30: The Three Stooges**

One might think that the reason Ruby had not gotten together with any of the ladies that were pursuing her was because she didn't know about the fighting that was going on. This was obviously not true, as the redhead did notice her teammates and the WGC fighting quite often. It was the reason behind their fights that was a mystery to her.

But at the end of the day, Ruby knew that her teammates had a tendency to fight with each other and the three ladies of the WGC. She was of course greatly bothered by this, as she didn't want to see those that she cared about get hurt or be upset. However, her compassion and tolerance towards the constant fighting had a limit and it was quickly being reached. The young team leader was starting to get sick of her teammates' childish behavior and she would soon do something about it.

And that day was upon them.

* * *

It was another normal day in Beacon and the four girls of team RWBY were in their dorm. But while Ruby was trying to relax, her teammates were once again arguing with each other. The young team leader was trying to read a book, but was unable to concentrate on it. The three older girls in the room were disturbing her with the noise they caused. Ruby had even taken out her Scroll and tried to drown out the noise by listening to music, but it wasn't working. The noise managed to penetrate through it.

The redhead didn't know what exactly her teammates were arguing about this time, but she honestly didn't care. She had seen them fight with each other so many times by now that she had practically given up on trying to make the fighting stop. Now, Ruby just wanted to leave the trio on their own while she herself was going to enjoy one of her favorite books. But unfortunately, it seemed like that was not going to happen.

After being fed up with the noise, Ruby decided to leave the dorm and go somewhere else to try and relax. However, she couldn't help but think about the way her teammates had been acting lately and it made her furious. Not only did it bother her, it often caused problems for other people as well. The scythe-wielder often had to apologize for the bad behavior of her teammates and sometimes even pay for the damages they caused. To say the least, she had to go through a lot for the sake of the three older girls.

''Those three are doing this all the time! What's wrong with them!?'' Ruby silently cursed to herself as she was heading to Beacon's front yard. ''I don't understand why they have to fight all the time! We are supposed to be a team, after all! Can't they just grow up and get along!? I wish I could just show them how ridiculous they are, so they might stop!''

The redhead eventually made her way to the yard, where she went to sit under a rather large tree. She was about to continue reading her book, but noticed that she had forgotten it back in the dorm. Ruby was about to go back and get it, but she remembered the arguing that was most likely still going on there. She didn't want to have to listen to it anymore, so she simply pulled out her Scroll to watch some things on it instead.

Ruby went to YouTube and started to look for something to cheer her up. She felt like she needed a good laugh, so she started to look for something funny. This soon led her to discover an old comedy series, which she decided to give a try. The series was in black and white, so it was quite old. It starred three men, who often got into arguments with each other, which led to all sorts of slapstick comedy.

While Ruby did find the series to be funny, she couldn't bring herself to laugh. The three characters and their misadventures reminded her too much of her teammates, so it only served to remind her of what she had to deal with on a daily basis. The redhead eventually just put her Scroll away and started to head towards the library in the hopes of finding a good book there for her to read.

However, while she was heading towards the library, Ruby noticed a poster on a wall. The poster was an ad for a film contest for Beacon's students. Apparently, the students could submit any sort of films that they made and compete for a good amount of money as a prize. The winner was going to be decided by the audience that got to see all of the submitted films.

As soon as she read the poster, Ruby's mind started to work on a plan. While the prize money was obviously tempting, what the redhead truly found interesting was the fact that all films would be shown in front of an audience. If she could film her teammates while they were arguing among each other like children, Ruby could show all of Beacon just how immature and childish they were. And maybe then the three older girls would stop fighting among each other all the time.

Ruby grinned to herself as she started to search for equipment on her Scroll. She had some planning to do.

* * *

A few days had passed and Ruby was ready with her movie. The redhead couldn't help but snicker to herself as she was heading towards where the participants for the contest would take their films to. Everyone in Beacon would finally see just how childish and ridiculous her teammates truly were. Hopefully, it would make the three older girls realize this as well and make them act a bit more properly in the future. All those long hours of editing would pay off in the end.

Just as she was about to reach the office where she was supposed to take her film to, Ruby stopped. If her teammates found out about what she had done, she would be in big trouble. The young team leader needed to somehow cover the fact that she was behind it.

The answer to her problem came in the form of a certain robot girl. Ruby spotted Penny wandering around the hallways of Beacon with a big smile on her face and she immediately knew what to do.

''Hey, Penny! Over here!'' Ruby called out to her friend, who soon noticed her. Upon seeing her first true friend, joy took over the robot girl and caused her to tackle the redhead in a big hug.

''Ruby! It's so good to see you again!'' Penny said as she hugged said girl as tightly as she could. ''How have you been doing!?''

''I was... doing... fine... until... you prevented me... from breathing...'' Ruby said as her face started to turn blue from lack of oxygen. ''Please... let me... go...''

''Ooops! My apologies for that, friend!'' the ginger robot said and let go of her friend. ''Are you alright?''

''I'm fine. Being around Yang has made me quite used to these types of situations,'' the scythe-wielder said while catching her breath. ''However, I do need to ask a favor from you.''

''A favor? From me!? ABSOLUTELY!'' Penny said excitedly. The fact that her friend was asking her help was like the best gift she could ever receive. ''What do you need!?''

''I need you to take this and take it to that office over there,'' Ruby said while handing the robot the disc with her film in it and pointing at the office. ''When they ask who it's from, I want you to tell them that it's from a friend of yours that's very passionate about filmmaking and doesn't care about the prize. She just wants her film to be seen. Can you do that?''

''Certainly, friend! I shall perform this duty like my life was depending on it!'' Penny said and gave the redhead a quick salute before she started to head towards the office. ''I'm on my way right away!''

''Just one more thing, Penny!'' Ruby quickly said, stopping her mechanical friend. ''I want you to promise me one more thing. You must not under ANY circumstance let anyone know that I was behind what's on that disc, okay? This is a matter of life and death for me.''

''I understand, friend,'' Penny said with a sudden serious expression on her face. ''I will not fail you on this. You have my word.''

''Thank you, Penny! I knew I could count on you!'' the young team leader said happily with a sigh of relief before she started to head towards her team's dorm. ''See you later!''

Once her friend had left, Penny started to march towards the office again with the serious expression still on her face. If someone were to see the ginger robot, they would think that she was heading to a war or something. That's the kind of feeling her face and overall demeanor was giving off.

However, just as Penny was about to open the office's door, she suddenly stopped. The way Ruby had talked about the disc had made her concerned. The robot girl wanted to do anything she could to help her precious friend, so she felt that she needed to know what was on the disc. It could be information on Ruby's enemies or something. Whatever it was, Penny needed to know so that she could keep the dear redhead safe.

After spotting a nearby empty classroom, the ginger robot went to hide there. She had a special part on her body that allowed her to insert discs and thus view their content. Penny lifted her shirt up a bit, revealing this special part and opened the tray where the disc could be put on. Once the disc was inside her body, Penny started to view it's contents, wondering what had her friend so worried.

Soon the hallways of Beacon were filled with Penny's laughter.

* * *

It was finally the day of the film contest and almost all of Beacon's students were gathered at the great hall to see all the entries for the contest. The crowd didn't simply consist of Beacon's students and staff, but of other people as well. General Ironwod was there as he had come to visit Ozpin to discuss some important matters. Taiyang and Qrow were there as well as they had come to visit Yang and Ruby. Penny was also there, accompanying Ironwood. There was also a rather strange bird outside the window, looking inside.

While a lot of people in the crowd were excited, no one was as excited as Ruby. She couldn't wait until her film would be shown, as it would finally put some sense to her infuriating teammates. And the best part was that no one would know that she was behind it. Not only did the redhead not put her name anywhere in the film, but she also had Penny deliver it. This would mean that no one would have any proof that she was behind the film, especially since the robot wouldn't tell who it was from. In other words, the redhead was completely safe from whatever backlash she could get from her work.

''Man, I really hope that there are some good action movies in the mix,'' Yang said as she wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders, which caused their other two teammates to get upset. ''If there's nothing but dull ''artistic'' junk in there, I'll be bored to death.''

''Of course an uncivilized brute like you couldn't appreciate artistic works,'' Weiss said as she glared at the blonde. ''The only thing that you can appreciate is brainless violence.''

''Indeed. This truly shows how you and Ruby are not related,'' Blake added as she was also glaring at her partner. ''She can at least appreciate works that require more than the intelligence of a child to be made.''

While the three older girls began bickering once again, Ruby started to grit her teeth to keep herself calm. She kept repeating to herself how things would change once her film was shown. It was the only thing that kept her from blowing up at her teammates.

Silence finally came over the hall as the films were being shown. There were all sorts of entries from people that Ruby knew herself. There was a rather strange fantasy film from Nora that the redhead was sure came to the hammer-wielder after she had way too much sugar. A very touching drama film from Coco, where the fashionista herself was the star, and an action film from team SSSN.

Apparently, Cardin had tried to get his own film in the contest, but it had been rejected. While there weren't many limits to the kind of films one could submit, any sort of anti-faunus propaganda was immediately rejected.

As the films were being shown one by one, Ruby started to get nervous. The whole thing was going to be over soon and her entry had not been shown. The young team leader couldn't help but wonder about the reason for this.

Suddenly, Ozpin stepped up to the stage to give a quick speech. Everyone in the audience wondered what this was all about, as until now Port had been the one to introduce the entries so far.

''Greetings to you all. I wanted to personally introduce this next film, as it brought great joy to me and the rest of the judges,'' the headmaster began with a smile and gave a quick glance to the rest of the contest's jury, which included Port, Oobleck and Peach. For some reason, the three teachers were snickering. ''This was sent to us by an anonymous person, who apparently didn't care about the prize, but was just passionate about filmmaking. I hope that you will find their work as enjoyable as we did. Now, let the film begin.''

The film started with a goofy theme playing, causing Ruby to grin. This was her film and the theme was the same that had been in the comedic series that she had watched and been inspired by. Since the series was quite old, not that many of the younger people recognized the theme. However, some of the older people, like Qrow and Tai, recognized it.

Soon after the theme started playing, certain three faces appeared on the screen with their names underneath them. The eyes of Weiss, Blake and Yang went wide with shock as they saw their faces and names on the screen. The shock only became bigger once the title appeared.

 **Weiss, Blake and Yang in:**

 **The Three Stooges**

 **and the Library Mayhem**

There was some surprised mumbling among the crowd as some of the more well-known students of Beacon were on the screen. However, no one was as surprised as the WBY, who had a bad feeling about what they were about to see.

* * *

The movie began with the three girls going to Beacon's library. They started to look around the place for something, and it didn't take long until the arguing started once again.

''What were we looking for again?'' Yang asked while going through the books on the shelves.

''For the hundredth time, we came here to look for _The History Of Dust Development_!'' Weiss said angrily at her teammate. ''How are you not able to remember that by now!?''

''Well excuse me, princess! Not all of us are perfect scholars, okay!?'' the blonde shot back. ''Besides, if it's about Dust, why do we need a book about it? You seem to know all about it.''

''Just because I'm the heiress of the SDC doesn't mean I know everything about Dust!''

''Really? The way you gave us a lecture about the proper use of Green Dust yesterday sure fooled me.''

''I just went through some of the basics!''

''For an entire hour? Glad you weren't going to go into details or else we would have died of old age while listening to you.''

''Will you two shut up!?'' Blake suddenly said angrily at her teammates. ''The library is a sanctuary for those who know how to appreciate books and you're disturbing it's peace!''

Both Weiss and Yang gave their faunus teammate looks that pretty much said ''you're a freak.''

''I think you've taken your love of books a bit too far, Blake,'' Weiss said blankly.

''And just what do you mean by that!?'' the cat faunus asked in an angry voice before going to some of the books. ''There, there, my sweet friends. I'll make sure the mean ladies won't disturb you.''

''Weiss, Blake is giving me the creeps,'' Yang whined and pointed at her partner.

''Oh, shut up. Let's just go and find that book and get this over with,'' the heiress muttered.

The three girls went on to search for the book they were looking for, but it didn't take long until Yang saw something that distracted her. The blonde noticed a section of the library that was dedicated completely to comic books and her eyes lit up with excitement immediately. She sneaked away from her teammates to enjoy some quality reading for herself.

''Let's see... What do we have here? Batman, Transformers, Spiderman-'' Yang mumbled to herself, but stopped when she saw something that made her squeal with joy. ''My Little Pony! This is one of the best days of my life!''

While the brawler went on to enjoy her findings, Weiss and Blake continued to look for what they actually came to the library for. The heiress looked up and saw a book that might be what they were looking for. However, she faced a problem. The white-haired girl was too short to reach the book and there were no ladders anywhere nearby. That's when she had an idea and started to pile books on top of each other.

Meanwhile, Blake was looking through the lower shelves and getting distracted by the occasional smut novel she happened to find. Her searching came to a stop, when a rather large book fell on her head very painfully. The raven-haired girl turned to look where it had came from and saw something that made her blood boil. Not only had Weiss dropped the book on her, but she was also using other books as a stool to reach the higher shelves and was constantly dropping more books to the floor.

If there was something that motivated Blake as much as faunus rights, it was books.

''Weiss, what the hell do you think you're doing!?'' the cat faunus yelled angrily at the heiress. ''Do you have any idea how badly you are treating those books!?''

''So? Books are overrated anyways. I mean, we live in a world where you can get practically everything digitally on your Scroll,'' Weiss said and dropped another book, angering Blake further. ''Just keep searching for what we need and let me do things my way.''

''Oh, I'll keep searching. In fact, I think I'll take a look at the ones under you!'' the raven-haired girl said and took out one of the books that was in the pile under the heiress, causing her to fall to the floor. ''Guess they're not that overrated since they kept you up, huh?''

The monochrome duo quickly got into a fight and started throwing punches at each other. This caused a lot of noise that disturbed a certain blonde's reading time.

''Hey, would you keep it down over there!? I'm trying to-!'' Yang roared in anger, but stopped when she accidentally hit the bookshelf behind her, causing it to fall. This caused a chain reaction, where all the bookshelves started to fall one after another. ''This isn't good...''

The falling shelves eventually reached Weiss and Blake, who stopped their fighting once they noticed the danger they were in. The two girls were unable to run away from the falling shelves, but they were luckily not harmed. The monochrome duo had been standing at a position where the empty part of the bookshelf landed, thus leaving them unharmed. The girls were still frozen in shock over what almost happened to them.

''So... Any luck with your search?'' Yang asked her teammates while still holding her comic book in her hands.

The three girls the got into a big fight with each other before getting thrown out of the library.

* * *

The WBY looked at the screen with horrified expressions while everyone else around them was laughing. The three girls saw how JNPR, CFVY, SSSN, CRDL and even Penny were all laughing like crazy at the antics of the trio on the screen. Yang was especially horrified to see her father and uncle laugh along with everybody, and even noticed that the raven outside the window seemed to be having a good time at her expense. Even Ironwood was chuckling quite a bit.

However, the worst for the three girls was to see their rivals, the WGC, laugh at them. It was already bad enough that their friends and complete strangers were having fun at their expense, but having to face the same through their enemies was just the worst.

While the three older girls of team RWBY were having their crisis, the team's leader was snickering to herself. All the work she had done had been worth it all in the end. The cost of the equipment, setting it all up, sending her teammates to find that book and then editing her footage for hours. It had all been worth it.

''I am very glad to see that you all enjoyed that last film as much as we did,'' Ozpin said to the audience. ''This film was our favorite out of all the entries and it made us laugh very much. Now, we were originally unable to show our gratitude to the person behind it, since we didn't know their identity.''

 _'That's ri- Wait, what does he mean by ''originally?'''_ Ruby thought to herself as dread started to make it's way to her body.

''However, thanks to Ms. Polendina, we have learned that the person behind this film was none other than Ms. Ruby Rose,'' Ozpin said happily. ''We are happy to say that Ms. Rose is the winner of our film festival.''

Everyone in the audience started to applaud the young team leader, with the exception of her teammates. The WBY were staring at Ruby with wide eyes, who herself had turned completely pale from her identity being revealed. The redhead then spotted Penny and used her Semblance to dash up to her robotic friend.

''PENNY, WHAT THE HELL!?'' Ruby screamed angrily at the ginger robot and shook her by the front of her shirt. ''I thought I told you I didn't want anyone to know that I was behind that movie! Why did you reveal it!?''

''Oh, Ruby. There's nothing to be ashamed of,'' Penny said gently to the redhead. ''You can see that everyone likes your movie, so you don't need to hide it.''

''The hell are you talking about!?''

''Well you see, I've researched all sorts of magazines in order to understand humans better. And when I thought about why you wanted to keep this all a secret, my studies came to the conclusion that you were ashamed of yourself and didn't have the courage to reveal your passion to others. But when I saw your great movie, I thought that it would be best for you to reveal your identity to the judges, so that you would see that you were worried over nothing in the end.''

''Did it ever occur to you that the reason I was hiding my identity was because I didn't want my teammates to learn that I made that movie!? Now that they know this, they're going to-!''

Ruby suddenly stopped herself, when she felt something was behind her. She slowly turned to look behind her to see her three teammates standing there with very angry expressions on their faces. The three older girls were giving off an aura that just screamed murder and pain to the redhead.

''Oh, please. Do continue,'' Weiss said as she glared at her partner.

''What were you going to say that we'll do?'' Blake asked.

''Yeah. Give us some ideas,'' Yang said as she cracked her knuckles.

Ruby gulped as she wondered if she would survive to see the next day.

* * *

''Where's your sense of humor, guys!? Can't you take a joke!?'' Ruby screamed while running away from her teammates through the yard of Beacon.

''A joke is one thing, but humiliation is another!'' Weiss yelled while holding her rapier at the ready.

''Even Yang's puns are better than what you did!'' Blake added while using her weapon to swing after her team leader.

''Yeah, what they said!'' Yang yelled and fired a shot from her gauntlet at Ruby.

''Oh, come on!'' the redhead whined as she ducked under the shot.

The four girls of team RWBY had been running around the school for about an hour without stopping. The three older girls of the team were determined to get back at their leader for the humiliation she had put them through and nothing would get in their way. Even though Ruby had her speed, her teammates were able to keep up with her by using their rage as a fuel, thus preventing her from escaping.

However, the four girls were finally reaching their limits and would soon stop, whether they wanted to or not.

Ruby was the first one who stopped. After that, the other girls soon stopped once they saw that their target wasn't getting away. All four girls had red faces and were panting like crazy from the exhaustion.

''Why, Rubes?'' Yang managed to ask while catching her breath. ''Why would you do something like that to us?''

''Because I didn't know what else to do to stop you guys!'' the redhead answered.

''...What?'' the WBY asked at the same time.

''You three are fighting all the time! Do you have any idea how that makes me feel!?'' Ruby said with a couple of tears falling from her eyes. ''I don't get it. We are supposed to be a team and friends, yet you guys act like you're enemies. Not only has your constant fights embarrassed me multiple times, but it also scares me. I feel like I've failed as your leader, since I can't keep you from fighting. And I'm afraid of what could possibly happen in the future, if the fighting doesn't stop. Do you have any idea how that feels?''

The three older girls watched as their precious leader started to silently weep. The sight immediately took away all the anger and rage they were feeling and replaced them with sadness and shame. They had no idea that their fighting had such an effect on Ruby.

''We're sorry, Ruby,'' Weiss apologized. ''We didn't mean to cause you any pain.''

''We might fight a lot, but we are still the same team from the day we got together,'' Blake said. ''You don't need to worry about what might happen in the future.''

''Yeah, we just got caught up in the fighting. That's all,'' Yang added. ''In the end, we do want the best for this team. And that includes you, Rubes.''

The four girls sat on the ground to calm themselves. Each one of them was still very exhausted from all the running and emotional stress, so they really needed a break. However, all the anger and sadness was slowly leaving.

''So... does this mean I'm forgiven for what I did?'' Ruby asked carefully, hoping that all was well.

''No,'' came the answer from the WBY, who glared at their leader a bit.

''Geez! Okay, okay!'' the redhead said and tried to think of a way to get back on her team's good side. ''How about I do each of you a favor, no matter what it is? Can we then forget about all of this?''

The eyes of the three older girls immediately shined when they heard their leader's suggestion. They looked at each other before looking back at Ruby with wide grins.

''It's a deal!'' the WBY said happily.

For some reason, Ruby felt chills run down her spine upon seeing the looks on her teammates' faces. She could only hope that whatever favors the three older girls would ask, they wouldn't get her into any trouble.

* * *

 **Author's notes: And I'm back in this story again. Although updates can be slow for this one, I'm still going to finish it. I feel that it's my responsibility to get it done.**

 **This was something I've wanted to do for quite some time already. I think that even before I started this whole story, I've wanted to do this bit. At first I considered making it a one-shot, but then I decided to make it part of this story.**

 **The next three chapters will deal with Ruby doing the favors for her teammates. One chapter for each.**

 **Also, for those who don't know, The Three Stooges is an actual old comedic series. I've watched some of it and think it's worth a try. Just be prepared that some of the stuff might not have aged well.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	31. Meet The Schnees

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 31: Meet The Schnees**

It had been two days since Ruby had embarrassed her teammates in the film festival and she was currently in the process of fulfilling one of the favors she promised. First one up for having their wish fulfilled was the redhead's partner, Weiss. Ruby had prepared herself for all sorts of things that the heiress could ask her to do. A 24-hour study session, becoming her personal maid for a while or even having to help her carry mountains of Dust around.

However, the young team leader didn't expect to be traveling first-class in an aircraft towards Atlas. To say the least, she was completely confused.

''Ummm... Weiss?'' Ruby called out to her partner, who was sitting next to her. ''What exactly is this favor that you need me for? I mean, so far I've been just traveling in this aircraft, which is great and all, but I don't see why you need my help in this.''

''Well, the reason why we are on this aircraft is not because it's the favor I wanted from you. It's just that this is the way I travel,'' Weiss explained. ''The favor I need from you is at our destination.''

''Really? Where's that?'' the redhead asked while a server came and delivered a large bowl of ice cream for her.

''It's in Atlas. We are going to my family gathering,'' the heiress answered as an air of sadness came around her, surprising her partner. ''I need you to be there as a support for me.''

''Why? Is your family scary?'' Ruby asked as she continued to eat her ice cream.

''Kind of... The life of the heiress for the Schnee family isn't as easy as most would think. While I did live in luxury and basically got whatever I wanted, it came with the cost of my freedom. For as long as I can remember, I had big expectations placed upon me. I had to be the best or I would be considered a failure. It didn't help that my mom got tired of dad and started to avoid him as much as possible, even going so far as to avoid me. Not to mention, I had a younger brother who was constantly looking for chances to bring me down, no matter what it was. It felt like I was constantly walking on the edge of a cliff and that the slightest mistake was going to bring me down for good.''

''Didn't you have any other family members to help you? Or friends?''

''When it came to friends, I never had any. In all honesty, you, Blake and Yang are the first real friends I've ever had. Before you guys, I was only allowed to meet people that my father saw as ''worthy,'' which meant that they would help him become wealthier. So not exactly any true friends. And when it comes to family, I only had Winter and my butler, Klein. Winter was always someone I looked up to and she even encouraged me to find my own path and not be my father's pet. And Klein was always more of a father than my real father ever was.''

''So you're worried that you might get into trouble with your parents and younger brother then?''

''Yes. While I can't really oppose them, I still feel like I have a right to make my own choices. It's because of this ''attitude'' of mine that my father doesn't exactly look at me in a... kind way, so to speak. But even if I have to suffer through a meeting with him and the other family members, I want the day to be more than just me saying ''yes, father'' over and over again, while listening to my brother's snide remarks the whole day. I want there to be someone that I can lean on. That will be standing next to me and supports me.''

''That would be me then. Right?''

''Exactly,'' Weiss said as she looked down sadly. ''I'm sorry about this, Ruby. You shouldn't have to face my family. It's not fair for you. They're probably going to make all sorts of nasty and mean remarks at you and-''

The heiress was suddenly cut off by Ruby pinching her cheek. The white-haired girl let out a small yelp of pain and pulled away from her partner.

''What was that for!?'' Weiss asked angrily.

''Oh, I just needed to stop you from being so silly,'' Ruby answered with a grin. ''You see, when I promised to fulfill a favor for each of you, I was afraid of what you guys might want from me. I mean, I prepared myself for all sorts of things today. Dust mining, becoming your servant for a while, becoming your bodyguard...''

 _'What kind of a person does she think I am!?'_ the heiress thought with a frown.

''However, this was something I didn't expect. And I'm relieved that your favor is just this,'' the redhead said with a grin. ''I mean, I face monsters, terrorists and criminals on a practically daily basis. I doubt that your family is that bad.''

''But you don't-'' Weiss began but was cut off again.

''And even if they were that bad, I would still help you out,'' Ruby said and patted her partner's head, making her eyes go wide. ''You're my precious partner and friend, Weiss. If you need my support, you'll have it. Especially when it's something as important as this. You should know that you can always count on me to be there for you.''

The fencer blushed at her partner's words and the head patting she was getting. She looked at Ruby to see that the redhead was smiling at her, telling her that she meant every word.

When Ruby started to pull her hand back from her partner, Weiss took her arm and hugged it tightly, surprising the younger girl.

''Ruby? Can I ask you something?'' Weiss asked while snuggling the sniper's arm.

''Y-Yeah,'' Ruby answered with a slight blush. ''What is it?''

''Never change, okay?''

''Ummm... Sure?''

* * *

After some time had passed, the two girls arrived at their destination, the Schnee mansion in Atlas. The building was huge and located on top of a very large hill. There was even a landing pad, so that the two young Huntresses didn't need to travel there from the airport.

As soon as the two girls stepped out of the aircraft, they were greeted by over a dozen of servants, all bowing down to Weiss.

''Welcome back home, Lady Weiss,'' the servants greeted the heiress at the same time, freaking Ruby out a bit. Weiss simply nodded at the greeting, having gotten used to such behavior.

The white-haired girl grabbed her partner's hand and started to lead her towards the entrance of the mansion, which was at the top of a long set of stairs. Ruby was about o mention that they forgot their luggage in the aircraft, but saw that some of the servants were already taking care of it.

''Ruby, are you okay?'' Weiss asked in a concerned voice. ''You seem to be a bit off.''

''I'm okay,'' the redhead answered. ''This all is just a bit overwhelming for me. I've never seen anything quite like this and feel a bit out of place.''

''Well, you don't need to worry, because-''

''Ms. Rose! What a pleasant surprise!'' a familiar voice called out that made the heiress frown. Ruby looked at where the voice came from and saw Winter there. ''I wasn't expecting to see you here! What brings you to the Schnee mansion?''

''Weiss asked me to join her. She wanted to have a friend accompany her,'' Ruby answered with a bright smile.

The older Schnee sister looked at her younger sister to see her smirking. Weiss took great pleasure from the fact that she was the one that was accompanied by the redhead.

''Well, I'm sure that you can also keep me company,'' Winter said with a grin as she took Ruby's hand, causing Weiss to start fuming with anger. ''These family meetings can be such a pain and I would be delighted to have someone as fun as you here to keep me company.''

''Hey! She came here with me, so keep your hands off her!'' the younger sister yelled at her older sibling.

''Oh, but Ms. Rose isn't a possession, dear sister,'' Winter said with a smirk. ''I'm quite sure that she can choose who she wants to spend her time with herself.''

While the two siblings were arguing, Ruby could only sigh. It seemed like no matter where she went, she would always have to have an argument around her.

''What is the meaning of this!?'' a sudden angry voice called out. The three ladies looked up to see a white-haired man standing at the top of the stairs with a white-haired boy next to him. Ruby guessed by the fancy clothes they were wearing that these were Weiss' and Winter's father and brother. ''You are Schnees! You should carry yourselves with dignity no matter where you are! And who is that girl with you!? She is not part of our family!''

Weiss visibly shrunk under her father's furious glare. Despite her best efforts, the heiress just couldn't bring herself to speak up. She knew that her father wouldn't be happy about her bringing a visitor, but she just couldn't bring herself to face the man alone.

''This is Ruby Rose, father. She's Weiss' partner and teammate in Beacon and my good friend. We both wanted to bring her here so that we could introduce her. After all, she has helped us both a lot,'' Winter suddenly said, causing both Weiss and Ruby to look at her in surprise. The older Schnee sister simply gave a wink and a smile at the two girls. ''I hope that it's not too big of a problem. It would be very rude to just send her back to Vale, after she came all the way here.''

''I suppose we can afford an extra guest. Even one that shouldn't normally be here,'' Jacques Schnee said with a frown, disliking the idea of a common citizen in his home. ''She can stay here as a guest.''

The Schnee father turned around to leave, allowing the sisters to smile happily. They had both been worried that the white-haired man would force Ruby to leave, but he didn't want to have any kind of bad rumors floating around about him turning away his daughters' friend. He had enough bad things said about him as it was.

''Ms. Rose, I am Whitley. Youngest of the Schnee siblings,'' the boy at the top of the stairs introduced himself. ''I hope that you will find the Schnee manor to be to your liking.''

''Hello! I'm Ruby, your sister's partner and friend! I hope we can get along!'' Ruby greeted the young boy cheerfully.

''Mind if I give you a small word of advice?'' Whitley asked with a smirk. ''You should try to enjoy your stay here as much as you can. It's highly doubtful that you'll ever experience anything like it in the future.''

Weiss and Winter frowned as their arrogant brother turned to leave. They both disliked him greatly, as he always thought that he was better than anybody else. And now he had even decided to insult Ruby, which they both found unforgivable. Luckily, the younger sister was not going to let him get away with it.

While Whitley was walking away with an arrogant smirk on his face, he suddenly felt something bite on his rear quite painfully. He even heard the fabric of his pants being torn. However, when he turned around, there was nothing there.

''Nice underpants, Whitley. But don't you think you're a bit old to have teddy bear undies?'' Weiss asked with a smirk, while Ruby and Winter snickered at the Schnee boy. Unlike Whitley, they knew what had happened. Weiss had summoned a very small, white Beowolf and used it to bite her brother's backside. She then made it disappear before he turned around.

The white-haired boy covered his behind with his hands and ran to his room with an embarrassed blush on his face. The three ladies entered the mansion with smiles on their faces.

* * *

Later that day, Ruby was sitting at a large dinner table with most of the Schnee family. The only one that was missing was Weiss' mother. The redhead asked about it, but her partner didn't really give an answer to why the lady was missing. It was only thanks to Winter telling her that their mother most likely needed some time alone in the garden that did Ruby decide to drop the subject. She didn't want to bring up a possible touchy subject.

The young team leader was sitting on the left side of the table, between Weiss and Winter. Jacques was sitting at the end and Whitley was sitting across from the ladies. Ruby could tell by the frown on the white-haired man's face that he was still displeased about her presence there.

No one said anything as they all waited for the food. Ruby, Weiss and Winter couldn't bring themselves to say anything, as they feared what might happen from it. Whitley didn't have anything to say and was just enjoying how uncomfortable the three ladies were. And Jacques was too upset to say anything.

Eventually, the appetizers were brought up. It was soup that Ruby was sure had been made from the best possible ingredients in the world. However, the redhead faced a problem when she noticed that there was more than one spoon at her seat. Knowing how displeased the Schnee father was with her already, Ruby didn't want to upset him any more with bad table manners. This led to her hesitating on which spoon to use.

''It's the spoon furthest to the right,'' Weiss whispered to her partner, who thanked her silently.

''Is there a problem, Ms. Rose?'' Jacques asked, his displeasure dripping from his voice.

''A problem? Not at all! I'm just getting used to this place. That's all,'' Ruby quickly answered.

''It would seem to me, father, that our guest here lacks the necessary table manners,'' Whitley said with a smirk. ''Perhaps her visit here can teach her a thing or two.''

While Weiss and Winter were angered by their brother's behavior, Ruby felt depressed. For as long as she could remember, she had always been an outcast. In kindergarten, elementary school an Signal. Only when she came to Beacon did she start to feel like she was a part of something. This moment was reminding her of those painful times now.

''Funny you should say that, Whitley,'' Winter said. ''You've lived here all your life, but I've never seen you have a single bit of class or decency in you. Or is being a spoiled brat supposed to replace those?''

The white-haired boy started to fume at what his older sister said. He had always hated being called a brat by his sisters, so he wanted to say something back at Winter. Unfortunately for him, his father spoke up before him.

''I think I've had enough of your bickering. Instead, I would like to hear more from our guest, since she is here,'' Jacques said, turning his attention to Ruby. ''So, Ms. Rose, I take it that you're my daughter's teammate and partner then?''

''That's right, sir!'' Ruby answered with a smile. ''I'm the leader of team RWBY, which Weiss is part of!''

''Is that so?'' the Schnee father said with his eyes narrowing. ''So you mean to tell me that you're my daughter's leader?''

''Ummm... Yes?'' the redhead answered, sensing how displeased Jacques was. ''Is there something wrong with that?''

''Well, it does seem a bit weird to me. After all, Weiss has had the best tutors in the world teaching her how to fight. She has always been the top of her class no matter what the subject was. Don't you think that she would make a good leader?''

''I... I think that she would be a good leader...''

''Then do you know why you were made the leader instead of her?''

''I... I'm not sure about that myself, but-''

''So was it just luck or some crazy idea by Ozpin? After all, the position of a leader is very important. One must have a good reason to receive such a position. Do you think that you should be the leader or do you think that someone else should have that position?''

Ruby couldn't get the words out of her mouth. She had been driven to a corner and all she could do was stare down at her lap. Truth be told, the redhead sometimes wondered why she had been made the leader in the first place. She had never asked for it and she certainly had not been given a reason as to why she had it. Sometimes she even thought that any of her teammates would have made a better leader. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes as she tried to think of a reason for her position as team RWBY's leader.

''Go ahead, Ms. Rose. Tell us if you deserve to be the team leader,'' Whitley said with a smirk. ''Or did you suddenly realize that maybe you shouldn't have that position?''

''She should have that position,'' Weiss said sternly, surprising everyone.

''And what makes you say that, Weiss?'' Jacques asked. ''I was certain that you would've considered yourself to be the best possible leader.''

''I thought that way at one point as well. But I've come to realize that being a leader is about more than fighting ability and good grades,'' the heiress explained. ''It's about being there for your team. To support them and keep them going. And most importantly, it's about knowing what's the right thing to do. Ruby has shown me many times that she possesses these qualities and more. I honestly shudder when I think about what would have happened, if the leader was anyone else. I trust her with my life and I will continue to trust her from now on.''

Ruby was shocked by what her partner just said about her. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever even considered that someone might look at her in such a way. To hear such words was truly uplifting for her.

''I agree with Weiss,'' Winter said. ''I have witnessed Ms. Rose's abilities and I can assure you that she is truly one of a kind. She has incredible potential to be something truly great and I am certain that she will live up to it. That's what I believe.''

The young team leader kept looking at the two sisters sitting on each side of her and saw them smile at her reassuringly. That told her that they both meant every word that they said and it brought a smile to her face as well.

The rest of the dinner was spent in a more pleasant manner. Jacques didn't have any real questions for Ruby anymore and instead kept asking about what his daughters had been up to. The redhead only needed to speak up in order to confirm whatever Weiss said and nothing more.

* * *

After dinner was done, Weiss started to lead Ruby to the room she would spend the night in. However, Whitley was following them, as he apparently hadn't had enough of making his sister or her partner feel bad.

''Excuse me, Ms. Rose. Do you have a moment?'' the white-haired boy called out to Ruby. ''There's something that I was wondering about.''

''What's that?'' the redhead asked, already fearing the question.

''I couldn't help but notice that you seem quite young for someone who is studying in Beacon,'' Whitley said with a smirk. ''Are you really 17?''

''N-No... I'm actually 15,'' Ruby replied nervously.

''Oh really? Then you must have some real skills for you to be accepted into one of the best Huntsman academies in the world. Just how did that happen? I was led to believe that the professors in Beacon were too busy to be looking at the test results of students that aren't even applying yet.''

''Well... I stopped a group of robbers... and then Professor Ozpin-''

''So you're saying that you were picked up by him by sheer luck? That he was impressed by you beating up simple robbers? I'm sorry to say this, but that hardly seems fair. I'm certain that most Huntsmen and Huntresses of your age are more than capable of doing that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they had done that as well. It seems to me that you were just lucky enough that Ozpin saw your fight and then decided to have you join his school. Can you really say that you deserve your position, knowing that it's mostly obtained through luck or your headmaster's whim?''

Ruby unconsciously wrapped her cloak around her body and stared down at her feet. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't completely deny what Whitley had just said. Her getting accepted to Beacon early had truly required a lot of luck and what she had done to do that had not been all that impressive. Most students that are even younger than her can take on Beowolves, so a couple of robbers weren't exactly such an impressive feat. Ruby couldn't help but start shaking and shedding tears, as the cruel, white-haired boy stared at her with a smirk on his face.

However, there were two people that weren't too happy about the bullying that was being done to the young team leader. Weiss was furious that her brother was practically abusing her partner, and Winter, who was behind a nearby corner, was also very displeased that the girl she liked was being mistreated. Both of the white-haired ladies were prepared to jump in to Ruby's defense at that moment.

''Now, listen here, Whitley!'' Weiss began angrily. ''You have no right to-!''

''Oh, would you mind and not get involved in this, sister?'' the white-haired boy said, cutting off his sister. ''I'm just curious about your partner here and I don't need you getting in my way. Honestly, I don't see why father doesn't just disown you, as you are just useless and-''

The rest of Whitley's words were cut off by a fist colliding with his face so hard that his nose was broken. However, the punch didn't come from Weiss or even Winter. In fact, the white-haired ladies were shocked to see that Ruby was the one to punch their brother. The moment Whitley called Weiss useless, the redhead's sadness and despair was replaced with pure fury, and she automatically attacked the person responsible for angering her.

''What the-!? HOW DARE-!?'' Whitley began to yell angrily, but was cut off again by Ruby. The scythe-wielder stopped him from talking by stepping on his chest and holding him down. The white-haired boy could only look up at his tormentor in terror and wet his pants, as Ruby glared at him with pure fury in her eyes.

''Listen up, Whitley. I don't care about what you say about me. Make fun of how I got to Beacon, about how I'm not supposed to be the team leader or whatever you want. I've heard it all before and I don't care,'' the redhead began. ''However, if you say anything bad about my friends or my family, I will personally make you regret ever being born. Got that?''

''D-Do you have any idea what you're doing!?'' Whitley yelled defiantly with tears falling from his eyes. ''Do you know what my father will do to you, once he finds out about this!?''

''I'm certain that you're the one that doesn't want father to know about this, Whitley,'' Winter said as she walked up to the group, making her presence known. ''Think about it. Father always expects us to be perfect and not do anything shameful. Not only did you carelessly provoke a young girl, but she even knocked you down and made you pee your pants. Do you have any idea what kind of a media nightmare this would be to him?''

''B-But he would still know-''

''Know what? You might tell him what happened, but do you really think that Weiss and I won't defend Ruby? We'll just say that I hit you for angering me or something else and then it will be you alone against the three of us. He won't know for sure in the end what happened and you can be certain that he won't be anywhere near as cruel towards me as he would be towards Ruby. In the end, all that you get from this is father getting angry at us and get to live in shame over what happened to you. Do you really think that's worth anything? The best option for you is to simply let this go and try to forget about it.''

Whitley looked at the three ladies around him and saw them all glaring at him. He knew that what Winter had said was true and that he wouldn't gain anything from this. Despite the problems between them, Jacques still trusted Winter and wouldn't consider her a liar. If Whitley were to try and get Ruby into trouble over punching him, he would not get the result he wanted and would only get in trouble himself. In other words, he had lost.

''I'll get you for this! I swear that you'll pay!'' the white-haired boy mumbled angrily as he got up and headed towards his room.

''It's kind of hard to take his threat seriously when he has wet himself,'' Ruby said, causing the Schnee sisters to laugh.

''That's true. But you shouldn't have done that, Ruby,'' Weiss said in a slightly scolding tone. ''Even if he is a spoiled and worthless brat, he is still in a position that could cause you trouble. You shouldn't anger him carelessly.''

''Really? I thought it was spectacular to see her do that,'' Winter said with a smirk. ''My heart actually stopped for a moment as I saw just how stunning you were.''

''O-Oh no... I'm not that-'' Ruby began to say, but was cut off when the older Schnee sister suddenly took out a handkerchief and started to wipe away the tears from her face.

''You shouldn't cry, Ms. Rose. It doesn't suit you,'' Winter said as she finished wiping away the redhead's tears. She then kissed her forehead, causing Ruby to blush like crazy and for Weiss to turn red with anger. ''I think you look a lot better when you're smiling.''

''R-Really?'' the sniper asked in an embarrassed voice.

''Really,'' the soldier replied with a wink and started to head towards her room. ''I'll see you later then.''

Once Winter had left, Weiss took Ruby's hand and started to guide her to their room, hoping to finally have some time alone with her crush.

* * *

Weiss and Ruby spent the rest of the day playing some board games together, until it was time to go to bed. Both girls took their turns changing to their sleepwear in the bathroom that was connected to Weiss' own bedroom. However, once they were done changing, clothes, Ruby noticed a problem. There was only one bed and there were two of them.

''Ummm... Weiss? Where do I sleep?'' the young team leader asked. ''Should I go to a guest bedroom or something?''

''While we have those, we are not allowed to use them without my father's permission,'' Weiss said. ''You'll be spending the night here.''

''Oh... So I'll be sleeping on the floor then?'' Ruby said in a saddened voice.

''O-Of course not!'' the heiress quickly said with an embarrassed blush on her face. ''You'll be sharing my bed with me! It's big enough for us both!''

''R-Really? Is that okay?''

''I wouldn't have said that if it wasn't. Now, how about we get some sleep?''

Both girls got in the bed and laid next to each other. Neither one said anything as they were just waiting to fall asleep, but the events of the day kept them both awake. It also didn't help in Weiss' case that the person she had fallen in love with was right next to her.

''Hey... Ruby?'' the heiress called out, getting her partner's attention. ''What Whitley and my father said... Don't let it bother you, okay? They just like to make other people feel bad about themselves. I guess it helps them deal with insecurity or something.''

''I'm okay, Weiss. Really. I've already gotten over it,'' Ruby replied. ''Besides, there was some truth to their words. I mean, I was pretty lucky to get into Beacon so early. And I have to say that I'm not sure why I'm the leader-''

''Stop that right now!'' Weiss suddenly yelled and sat up, surprising the redhead. ''There was more than luck to you getting into Beacon! It was thanks to your skills that Ozpin recognized your potential and decided to invite you! And it's because of those same skills and talents that you became the leader of our team! You have incredible potential and there is no doubt in my mind that you will become a great Huntress one day! I swear that!''

''You... You really think that about me, Weiss?'' Ruby asked, wanting to make sure that the white-haired girl meant what she said.

''Absolutely. There's no one else in this world that I look up to more than you,'' Weiss said with a smile.

''Thanks, Weiss,'' the sniper said with a smile. ''But like I said, what your brother and your father said isn't bothering me anymore. There was something else on my mind.''

''What's that?''

''I was thinking about your mother. It's sad that she couldn't join us during the dinner. I would have wanted to meet her.''

''Oh... You were thinking about her...'' Weiss mumbled. ''Well, there's a good reason you didn't meet her. That's because she is a terrible-''

Suddenly, the door to Weiss' room was slammed open by a white-haired woman, who was holding a very large bottle of wine in her hand. Ruby guessed by the woman's looks and clothes that she was Weiss' mother, Willow Schnee.

''M-Mom!?'' Weiss yelled out in shock. ''What are you doing here!?''

The Schnee mother slowly walked up to the bed while swaying from side to side, indicating that she was drunk. She stopped next to where the two girls were sleeping and stared down at Ruby. The redhead was confused and slightly scared by her partner's mother's behavior, but decided to try and introduce herself.

''Ummm... Hello, Mrs. Schnee. My name is-'' Ruby began, but was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by Willow.

''Weissy!'' the white-haired woman said happily. ''Mommy wants to hold her little girl! You don't mind that, do you, Weissy?''

''Mom, I'm Weiss! That's my friend, Ruby!'' Weiss yelled as she tried to get the redhead from her mother's arms. ''Let go of her!''

''Who is this weird girl that tries to take my Weissy!?'' Willow asked and held Ruby tighter. ''Weissy is for mommy! No one else can have her!''

''I told you already! I'M WEISS!''

Ruby herself couldn't really do anything. The white-haired woman's grip was so strong that she couldn't break free and her face was pressed against the lady's chest so much that she couldn't speak. The sniper could only let out muffled cries as she was being pulled by a mother and a daughter.

Meanwhile, Winter was sneaking to her younger sister's room. The soldier was dressed in rather revealing sleepwear and had brought a roll of duct tape with her. She was planning to get into Weiss' room, tie up and silence the younger Schnee and then enjoy some private time with Ruby. However, she was surprised to see that the door to her sister's room was opened and she heard shouting from there. Once she got up to the door and looked inside, she was shocked to see her mother and Weiss fighting over Ruby.

''Mother, what is the meaning of this!?'' Winter asked angrily as she stomped over to the fight. ''Why are you here and what are you trying to do with Ms. Rose!?''

''Winter! Good timing! You can- Wait a minute! Why are YOU here!?'' Weiss yelled at her sister.

Needless to say that Ruby didn't get much sleep that night, as she was being fought over by the Schnee family's ladies. The redhead could only fear that if Weiss ever invited her over again, she might not make it out alive.

* * *

 **Author's notes: You know, despite me not being a fan of WhiteRose nor a fan of Weiss, I really enjoyed this chapter. This turned out much more fun than I thought it would and I hope you guys liked it as well.**

 **For those who like Blake and Yang more than Weiss, don't worry. Next two chapters will be focused on them.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	32. Menagerie Visit

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 32: Menagerie Visit**

After Ruby had done her favor for Weiss, it was Blake's turn to use their beloved leader. Like with the heiress, the redhead had been prepared for all kinds of things that her teammate might ask from her. However, like last time, Ruby was surprised that she was once again traveling somewhere. This time she was on a ship heading towards Menagerie.

''Hey, Blake,'' the young team leader called out to her teammate. Both girls were currently standing on the ship's deck. ''Why are we going to Menagerie? Do you need my help over there with something?''

''Yes. There is something that I need to face there, but I can't do it alone,'' the cat faunus said. Her body was tense as she was leaning on a railing. ''I have to do something that I should have done a long time ago and face my parents.''

''Face your parents? Why? Are they bad people?'' Ruby asked.

''No. They're not bad people. I am,'' Blake answered with sadness in her voice. ''You remember how I used to be part of the White Fang, right?''

''Yeah, but you've changed, haven't you? You left the group and decided to become someone that would fight against them.''

''It's... not that simple. You see, my father used to be the leader of the White Fang, with my mother being his second-in-command,'' the raven-haired girl explained, surprising her team leader. ''However, back then the White Fang was nothing more than a peaceful protest group. We didn't commit any acts of terrorism or anything like that. It all changed when my father stepped down as the leader.''

''What happened?''

''Our people were sick and tired of the way humans had treated us and Sienna Khan used that to her advantage. She riled up our members, telling them that we should start to fight back instead of being peaceful protestors. That our peaceful ways wouldn't lead us anywhere. This caused the members of the White Fang to demand a change in the way we did things, eventually causing my parents to get backed into a corner and to step down from their positions. That's how Sienna took over the White Fang and began to lead it into terrorism. Soon the reputation of the faunus was ruined thanks to her actions.''

''I can see why this would upset you and everything, but I can't see how any of this is your fault,'' Ruby said. ''I mean, you didn't make your parents quit and you didn't put this Sienna person in charge. How come you're so nervous of meeting your parents when you've done nothing wrong?''

''I might not have been the one to do all that, but I didn't try to stop it either. In fact, I was one of Sienna's supporters,'' Blake answered as she tightened her grip on the railing. ''I believed everything she said about us needing to fight back and how it would finally make our position in the world better. I thought that I was some noble revolutionary. Instead, I was nothing more than a spiteful child, wanting to hurt others for the pain I had endured. Even if I'm not directly responsible for anything Sienna did, I'm still partially responsible as her supporter. However, the worst thing I did was the way I separated from my parents.''

''What happened?''

''My parents tried to get me to come with them. They told me that the new White Fang would only make things worse and that I should leave it as well,'' the cat faunus said as tears started to fall from her eyes. ''Instead of listening to reason, I called them cowards! I said that they didn't have what it takes to do what needs to be done! They tried to save me and I repaid that with spiteful words! I then went to follow the new White Fang and became one of their criminals!''

''So the point of this trip is to make amends with your parents?'' Ruby asked. ''And you need my help with that?''

''No. I need to fix things between me and my parents on my own. I just need you there because I'm too much of a coward to face them alone,'' Blake answered. ''I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm dragging you all over Remnant just because I don't have the guts to face my parents on my own. I don't even know how they'll react to seeing me. I wouldn't be surprised if they'll spit on me and tell me to-''

The rest of the faunus girl's words were cut off when a pair of arms wrapped around her body in a gentle hug. Blake was not only surprised by the sudden and comforting gesture, but also by just how warm Ruby was. The raven-haired girl could just feel her worries melt away as she enjoyed her crush's embrace.

''You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Blake,'' Ruby said in a gentle voice. ''You might have made a mistake by staying in the White Fang, but you did it for a good cause. And then you did something that many people can't do. You admitted your mistake and decided to become a better person. When most would have just stayed and made excuses, you decided to actually make a difference and fight for what was right. That's admirable.''

''B-But my parents... How can I-?''

''And if there's one thing I know, it's that truly loving families keep together no matter what. We do bad things. We make poor decisions. But in the end, our families will be there to help us get back up and back on the right path. Your parents wanted you to come with them and leave the White Fang and I'm sure that wish has never changed. The fact that they tried to save you shows that they truly care about you. And I'm sure that they still do.''

Blake turned around and wrapped her arms around her team leader and hugged her as tightly as possible. The cat faunus was still crying, but her tears were no longer from sadness and regret, but from happiness and relief. She felt truly blessed to having such an amazing teammate.

''You're just too good to be true, you know?'' Blake said with a small giggle. ''How did I ever get so lucky as to have you as my teammate?''

''Well, I'm lucky too, you know?'' Ruby said with a big smile. ''I mean, I have such cool and great teammates like you! I think I'm blessed or something.''

''I'm happy to hear that from you,'' the raven-haired girl said as she buried her nose in the redhead's hair and breathed her rosy scent deeply. ''I'll be happy to introduce you to my parents.''

''Great to hear that. Now let's go meet the Belladonna family!'' Ruby declared with a grin.

Blake let out a small laugh before looking over to where the ship was heading. She still had an arm around the younger girl's shoulders and she held her close. With Ruby next to her, the faunus girl felt like nothing could possibly go wrong.

* * *

The two girls eventually arrived at their destination in Menagerie. At first, Ruby was taken aback by how lively and bustling everything was. There were faunus everywhere, and it was busier than the city of Vale. Not to mention, there seemed to be all sorts of things being sold everywhere that she had never seen before.

''Wow, there are so many people here,'' Ruby said as she looked around with wide eyes. ''Is it always this busy around here?''

''Yes. You see, most of Menagerie's population is centered around here due to most of the lands being full of very dangerous Grimm and other wildlife,'' Blake explained. ''Most of the area is practically uninhabitable due to the dangers, so we are forced to live in a small area.''

''Oh... I hope I didn't sound offensive,'' the redhead said in a sad voice.

''No worries. You didn't say anything wrong and you couldn't have known,'' the cat faunus said with a small smile, finding her team leader's concern to be touching. ''Besides, I can't help but feel that some of my other friends would act in a more dislikable way. Namely Sun...''

Ruby giggled at the older girl's joke as they continued on their way towards Blake's home. After walking for a bit, they finally reached a rather large building with a couple of guards around. The redhead went wide-eyed when she saw the building and how the guards greeted Blake like they were her servants. Only other time she had seen something like this was at Weiss' home.

''Blake, are you some kind of royalty?'' Ruby asked when the two girls reached the front door. ''I mean, this building and the way those guards greeted you make you look like a princess or something.''

Blake chuckled a bit at her friend's words and said, ''I guess in a way. My father is the chieftain of Menagerie, the leader around here. While I'm nothing like Weiss, I'm still a pretty recognizable person around here.''

''Wow... To think that two of my teammates are big people like that,'' the redhead mumbled with wide eyes. She then felt how her faunus friend suddenly stroked her head gently.

''Now, I don't want you to start treating me any differently than before, okay?'' Blake stated. ''Even if I'm the chieftain's daughter, I want you to think of me as Blake Belladonna only. No need to start acting like I'm a princess or anything like that.''

''Sure. Anything for a friend,'' Ruby replied with a bright smile.

After getting the response she was hoping for, the cat faunus walked up to the door and was about to knock on it, but suddenly stopped. The sniper stared at her friend in confusion, as Blake just stood still with her hand raised up to the door.

''Blake? Everything okay?'' Ruby asked in a concerned tone.

''I'm... worried, Ruby,'' Blake answered. ''What if my parents can't forgive what I've done? What if they-?''

The rave-haired girl stopped when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She looked next to her to see Ruby smiling at her.

''You can do this, Blake. And you need to, right?'' the redhead said gently. ''Besides, no matter what happens, I'll be here for you. Okay?''

Encouraged by her beloved team leader's words, Blake knocked on the door. The two girls waited for a couple of seconds, until the door was opened, revealing a raven-haired faunus woman. The woman immediately recognized Blake and her eyes went wide.

''Blake... It's you,'' the faunus woman said with tears welling up in her eyes. ''I thought I'd never see you again.''

''Hi, mom,'' Blake said with some awkwardness in her voice. ''I... thought I should come and visit.''

''Kali, who is it?'' a large faunus man asked as he walked up to the door. Upon spotting Blake, he had a similar reaction like the faunus woman and stared at the girl with wide eyes. ''Is that...?''

''It's me, dad,'' Blake said. ''I wondered if I could come and see you two, but if you don't want-''

The raven-haired girl didn't get to finish her sentence, as she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by her mother.

''Of course you can,'' Kali said while hugging her daughter. ''There's nothing more than I would want in the whole world right now.''

''You can always come here, Blake,'' the faunus man said as he joined his family in the hug. ''This is your home and we will always welcome you here.''

Ruby watched as the faunus family hugged each other. She didn't dare say anything, as she didn't want to ruin the moment. However, the redhead did let a couple of tears fall from her eyes, as the sight really touched her heart.

Ruby was suddenly noticed by Blake's father, who turned his attention to her.

''I didn't notice that you brought someone with you, Blake,'' the faunus man said, causing everyone to look at the young team leader. ''Who is the girl with you?''

Blake smiled and walked up to Ruby. She put her hands on the younger girl's shoulders and turned to look at her parents.

''Mom, dad, this is my friend and teammate from Beacon, Ruby Rose,'' the raven-haired girl said proudly. ''She is very special to me, so I wanted you to meet her. Ruby, these are my parents. My father, Ghira, and my mother, Kali.''

''N-Nice to meet you,'' Ruby said a bit nervously and gave a polite bow.

''Nice to meet you too, Ms. Rose,'' Ghira said with a smile and offered his hand for the young girl, which she took. ''I hope to learn more about what my daughter has been up to. Especially about things that she wouldn't normally talk about.''

''Dad!'' Blake cried out with an embarrassed blush.

Ruby laughed a bit at her friend's reaction and turned towards Kali to properly greet her. However, she was shocked to find the woman simply staring at her with wide eyes, which made her nervous.

''Ummm... Is everything alright, Mrs. Belladonna?'' the sniper asked. Both Blake and Ghira were also staring at the faunus mom, wondering what was wrong with her.

''Cute...'' Kali mumbled silently.

''E-Excuse me?'' Ruby asked.

''So... CUTE!'' the faunus woman squealed as she pulled the young team leader into a tight hug and started to rub her cheek on the girl. ''Blake, your friend is so cute! Where did you find her!?''

''M-Mom!? What's wrong with you!?'' Blake cried out, shocked over her mother's behavior.

''Oh, right... Kali always did have a soft spot for cute things,'' Ghira said thoughtfully.

''Hey, don't feel the need to call me Mrs. Belladonna or anything like that! You can call me mom or mommy! There's no need to be shy!'' Kali said joyfully as she kept hugging Ruby, who would have cried out of shock, if her face wasn't being pressed against the woman's chest. ''I've always wanted a cute daughter like you!''

''EXCUSE ME, MOM!'' Blake yelled in anger. ''I think you already have a daughter! And that would be ME!''

''Blake, you are a great daughter that any parent would want, but you're ONE of the daughters I've always wanted,'' the faunus mom explained. ''You see, I always wanted to have TWO daughters. One that's mature, calm and beautiful. And another one that's lively, energetic and cute. With Ruby here, I have finally fulfilled my wish!''

''That's great and all, mom, but she already has a family!'' the faunus girl argued. ''I don't think that they would appreciate you claiming their daughter as your own!''

''Oh, it won't hurt anybody if we just pretend when she's here! It will be like how you and I used to play when you were younger! It will be fun!'' Kali said happily. ''Don't you agree, Ruby?''

The redhead couldn't answer as she had been knocked out due to the lack of oxygen.

* * *

After getting Ruby to wake up again, the group went to have dinner together. Blake's parents were very eager to hear what their daughter had been up to and also wanted to hear her friend's view on some of the things as well.

''So, you decided to leave the White Fang and go to Beacon to become a Huntress, Blake?'' Ghira asked with a smile. ''That's a very noble path that you have taken. You should be proud of yourself.''

''Thanks, dad... But I can't really be proud of myself,'' Blake said in a sad tone.

''Why is that?'' Kali asked with a raised eyebrow. ''Huntsmen and Huntresses are what keep regular citizens like ourselves safe. Why wouldn't you be proud of yourself?''

''It's because of how I finally decided to become a Huntress,'' the raven-haired girl answered. ''After you left the White Fang, I slowly started to see how right you were about them. About how they were doing more damage instead of helping the faunus. Even when I saw it, I didn't immediately leave them and just gave myself excuses for staying. When I finally had enough, I just ran away like a coward. I didn't try to confront them or anything. I just left and hoped to find a new life without them. I'm honestly no better than Adam-''

''Blake, stop. That's enough,'' Ghira said sternly, cutting off his daughter. ''You have nothing to be ashamed of. You fought for a just cause, even if it was in a wrong way. You also realized your mistake and decided to seek a new path, one that would help people, both humans and faunus. Most would either have stayed in the White Fang or given up fighting completely. You, on the other hand, decided to not only leave a group that you knew was in the wrong, but also decided to keep fighting for what is right. That, if anything, deserves admiration.''

Tears started to fall from Blake's eyes after hearing her father's words. She was relieved to hear such things from him, as she had been feeling nothing but worry and guilt for a long time now. Worry over how her parents would see her now and guilt over the decisions she had been making in her life.

''Why?'' the faunus girl managed to ask while fighting back her tears. ''Why are you so forgiving towards me? After everything I've done. I didn't even listen to you when you tried to get me to leave the White Fang with you. Instead, I called you cowards. How can you just forgive that?''

''Because we are family, Blake,'' Kali answered with a kind smile. ''We might make mistakes and stumble quite a bit, but we are still going to help each other out. No matter what.''

Blake's eyes went wide and she looked at her parents to see them smiling at her, telling her that they meant every word they said. She then turned to look at Ruby, who had a small grin on her face.

''See? It's just like I told you. You had nothing to worry about,'' the redheaded girl said to her teammate.

''How about we change the topic to something nicer?'' Kali asked with a smirk. ''How about you tell me what my little girl has been up to in Beacon, Ruby? Has she been getting into trouble?''

Before Blake could say anything in her defense, Ruby answered the question.

''Well... She doesn't get into trouble as much my other two teammates, but she does have her moments,'' the young team leader said thoughtfully. ''Like that time she had a bit too much catnip...''

''Ruby, don't tell my parents about that!'' Blake cried out.

''Oh? What happened?'' Ghira asked with a small grin.

''Well, she bounced around our dorm for about half an hour, tore up the sheets on Weiss' and Yang's beds, before tackling me to the floor, curling up on me and falling asleep,'' Ruby explained. ''And to top it all off, she drooled on my shirt so much that it had to be washed.''

Both Ghira and Kali chuckled, while their daughter buried her face in her hands from shame.

''Blake always did have a weakness for that stuff,'' Kali said happily. ''What else?''

''Then there was that time she was reading some book that Nora took from her,'' Ruby answered while looking up in thought. ''Blake tried to get it back really hard, but couldn't stop her from reading it. I don't know what was in that book, but I'm not sure if I want to.''

''How come?'' Ghira asked.

''Nora read it only for a couple of seconds, but in that time, her eyes went wide, her face turned pale and she just seemed to be drained of life,'' the sniper explained. ''She then gave the book back and told Blake to never let anyone find out she has it. She said that the stuff in it is legal only in Vacuo and some parts of Mistral.''

''What kind of a book was that!?'' Kali asked, alarmed that her daughter might have gotten into something illegal.

''It called ''Ninjas of Love: Unrated Edition,'' or something like that,'' Ruby answered.

''Oh!'' the faunus woman exclaimed with a slight blush on her face before looking away. ''Never mind then...''

Ghira kept glancing between his wife and daughter, wondering what was going on between them. It seemed like the ladies in his family knew what the book that Ruby mentioned was about, while he himself didn't know anything.

''Is there something I should know?'' the faunus man asked a bit awkwardly.

''Nothing!'' both Kali and Blake quickly yelled while blushing. ''Let's just move on!''

''You mean to another story about Blake?'' Ruby asked, causing Blake's parents to perk up with some excitement, while the girl herself looked horrified. ''Well, one thing that comes to my mind is something really weird...''

''Really?'' Kali asked with her eyes full of interest. ''Do go on.''

''Well, one day when I got back to our dorm, I opened the door to see Blake posing in front of our mirror,'' the redhead explained. ''It wouldn't have been weird if she had been wearing her own clothes, except... she wasn't.''

''What do you mean?'' Ghira asked.

''Not only was she wearing only underwear, but they were also mine,'' Ruby answered. ''When I asked about it, she just said that she accidentally grabbed them and put them on, before checking out how they looked on her.''

''YES! That is exactly what happened!'' Blake yelled with a furious blush on her face. ''I accidentally put on Ruby's underwear and when I noticed it, I decided to see how they looked on me! That's all!''

''I just can't understand how that happened. I mean, my clothes are in a completely different-''

Before Ruby could finish her sentence, Blake grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth tightly, silencing her words.

''Ruby, please! I'm already embarrassed enough! Have mercy!'' the raven-haired girl pleaded while the younger girl tried to break free from her hold.

While the two girls were busy with their struggle, Blake's parents were watching them while digesting the information they had just gotten. Both of them seemed to figure out what was going on between the two girls.

''Our daughter reminds you of someone, doesn't she?'' Ghira whispered to his wife in a blank voice, earning himself a punch to the face from Kali.

''I was young and experimental. That's it,'' the faunus woman muttered angrily with a blush on her face.

* * *

The rest of the day went on pleasantly in the Belladonna household. They talked with each other and even played some board games together, without anymore incidents happening between them.

However, it was nighttime soon and everyone had to go to bed. Ghira was about to offer Ruby their guestroom, but Kali decided to let her sleep in the same room as their daughter. When Blake was about to ask about this suggestion, her mother just gave her a wink.

Ruby and Blake were now in the faunus girl's room. The young team leader was looking around, taking in every detail of the place. Namely all the books that were there.

''Wow... I see that you've always liked books,'' Ruby said, amazed by her friend's collection.

''Yes. I have always been fascinated by the worlds in them, even as a child,'' Blake said with a smirk. ''I take it that you like my collection?''

''Yeah... It's something to be envious of,'' the redhead said while looking at the numerous books.

''Thank you. I'm quite proud of it myself,'' the cat faunus said with a smirk. ''Now, how about we go to bed? There's only one bed here, but I think it's big enough for both of us.''

Ruby nodded and the two girls went to change into their sleepwear. The bathroom was right next to Blake's room, so the girls took turns in going there and changing clothes.

When Ruby got back from changing, she saw Blake sitting on her bed, looking thoughtful. The scythe-wielder became immediately worried over her friend and decided to find out if something was wrong.

''Blake?'' Ruby called out to her friend. ''Is everything okay?''

''I'm fine, Ruby,'' Blake answered with a smile. ''I just feel a bit... weird, I guess. For a long time, I thought that I would never return here. That I would always keep running away from my family. But here I am, back home with my family.''

''Isn't that good?'' the redhead asked. ''I mean, I don't see what would be wrong with that.''

''Of course there's nothing wrong with it. It's just a bit hard to believe,'' the raven-haired girl explained. ''Also, I can't help but feel like I owe this to you, Ruby.''

''Me? Why?''

''It's because of you that I finally found the courage to come see my family again. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure if I could have ever done this. For that, I am grateful.''

''Well, I'm not sure if I really helped that much, but you're welcome. Besides, if you ever feel like you need my help, don't hesitate to ask. I will always do my best for you sake.''

Upon hearing those words, a strange glint appeared in Blake's eyes. She also started to smile in a mischievous way.

''Actually, Ruby, there is something you could do for me,'' the cat faunus said as she started to dig through her luggage for something.

''Really? If I can be of any help, I'll do it!'' Ruby said enthusiastically.

''That's good to hear,'' Blake said as she finally pulled out a box and handed it to her team leader. ''There's a costume here that I would like you to put on. Could you do that for me?''

''Uhhh... Sure! But why do you need me to do this?''

''Oh, no reason.''

Ruby took the box and went to the bathroom to put on the costume. Blake could hardly wait to see the girl she loved wearing what she had just given her. The raven-haired girl was practically bouncing with excitement. It didn't take long until the young team leader had put on the costume and was at the door.

''Ummm... Blake? I put on the costume,'' Ruby called out from behind the door to Blake's room.

''Great! Come in and let me see!'' the cat faunus said while trying to hold back her excitement.

''Are you sure about this?'' the redhead asked. ''I mean, I could see this being very offensive to your people.''

''It's fine! It's fine! I wouldn't have made you do this otherwise! Now please let me see it!''

''Okay...''

When the door opened and Ruby walked in, Blake could just feel her mouth fall open. The scythe-wielder was currently dressed in a black, oversized cat pajama, that hung loosely on her. It wasn't so big that it would make her look ridiculous, but just big enough to make her look adorable. Ruby was blushing like mad while wearing it.

''W-Well? D-Does it look g-good on me?'' the redhead managed to ask.

Blake stood up and walked up to the younger girl and pulled her into a hug.

''It doesn't look good on you. It looks PERFECT on you,'' the raven-haired girl said. ''Could you also make a proper kitty sound now?''

''M-Meow?'' Ruby said shyly.

''That's a good kitty. Now let's go to-''

Before Blake could finish her sentence, the door to her room was opened by none other than her mother, Kali.

''Ruby, I forgot to ask you about-'' Kali began to say but stopped upon noticing the young redhead and the outfit she was wearing. Everyone stood in silence for a moment, before the faunus woman suddenly walked up to Ruby, picked her up and started to walk out of the room.

''MOM!?'' Blake yelled after her mother, angered that the girl she liked was being taken from her just when things were getting good.

''M-Mrs. Belladonna? Where are we going?'' Ruby asked while being carried by the woman.

''To my room, little kitty,'' Kali said in a happy tone just before closing the door behind her.

''...WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!?'' Blake asked angrily after being left alone in her room.

* * *

The next morning, Blake woke up in a bad mood, still remembering what had happened last night. She left her room and headed towards the kitchen to get some coffee, but stopped at the door to her parents' bedroom. The raven-haired girl opened the door a bit and peeked inside to see her mother and Ruby sleeping on the bed. Kali was hugging the redheaded girl with a content smile on her face, which made Blake even angrier. However, she decided to simply continue on her way to the kitchen.

Once the faunus girl was about to reach her destination, she saw her father laying on the couch of the living room. Ghira seemed to be grumpy about his new place for rest, as he had a frown on his face.

''What happened to you, dad?'' Blake asked.

''Your mother kicked me out of the bed. Said something about needing some quality time with her new daughter,'' the faunus man answered. ''How was your night?''

''Just great,'' the raven-haired girl grumbled angrily as she went to get herself some coffee.

* * *

 **Author's notes: As you have probably guessed, these chapters where Ruby fulfills her favors for her teammates focus on the WBY's families. This is because I could not only get these characters introduced in this story, but also so I could give a good reason for Ruby meeting them. By linking thses chapters with the Three Stooges chapter, I was able to work it out in a favorable way in my opinion.**

 **This chapter felt difficult at first, because I didn't feel like I had good material to work with at first. I'm not saying that the characters are bad, it's just that the chapter with Weiss offered more interesting stuff to work with thanks to the whole conflict with her family. However, Blake's family didn't have this, so it proved a bit difficult to work with at first. Luckily, the whole ''Blake getting embarrassed in front of her parents'' was fun to write.**

 **I briefly considered using Adam, Ilia or Sienna on this, but felt like it would have driven this away from the humor too much, so I didn't go with it.**

 **Next is going to be Yang's turn. Hope you check it out!**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	33. Xiao Long Night

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 33: Xiao Long Night**

It was the day for Yang's turn at getting a favor from Ruby and the redhead was surprisingly excited. Despite the troubles she faced when it came to Weiss' and Blake's requests, Ruby had enjoyed fulfilling them quite a bit. She got to learn more about her precious teammates and become much closer with them. That was something the young team leader thought of as priceless.

As Ruby waited for her blonde teammate in their dorm, she wondered what the older girl could possibly request from her. Would she get to meet some people that are important to Yang or would she get to help with something important? Whatever it was, the redhead couldn't wait to hear it.

After waiting for a while, Yang finally arrived at the dorm. Ruby immediately walked up to her, ready to hear the blonde's request.

''Hey, Yang! So what will you need from me?'' the redhead asked excitedly. ''I'm ready for anything, so don't hesitate to ask!''

''Glad to hear that, Rubes,'' Yang said with a grin before throwing a red motorcycle helmet at the younger girl, who caught it. ''Put that on. You'll need it.''

''Why would I need this?''

''Because I'm taking you on a night you'll never forget for the rest of your life.''

The grin on the brawler's face sent shivers down Ruby's spine. She only hoped that the night would be unforgettable in a good way.

* * *

It didn't take long for Ruby to find out that Yang had not been exaggerating, when she said that the redhead wouldn't forget tonight for the rest of her life. It was certainly turning out to be an unforgettable one. And seeing how things were going, Ruby was certain that her life wouldn't last much longer.

The young team leader was currently holding onto Yang's back as tightly as she could, while the blonde was speeding through the streets of Vale on her motorcycle.

Ruby made a note to herself to put the older girl into a school that would teach her traffic laws again. It seemed like Yang was trying her best to break every law possible with the way she was driving. The sniper had even lost count of how many times they had almost collided with another vehicle.

''So, what do you think, Rubes!?'' Yang called out happily to the younger girl. ''Is this turning out to be an unforgettable night or what!?''

''Yeah! I certainly won't forget this for the rest of my life!'' Ruby replied. ''Especially since I won't have any time to forget!''

''Awww, don't be like that!'' the blonde said in a mock hurt tone. ''You know that I would never let anything harm you!''

''Say that when you're following the speed limit! Can't you slow down!?''

''Nope! Speed is essential on the road!''

The young team leader was praying for whatever god that was watching them to save her, when she heard the sound of sirens behind them. She looked behind her to see a police car chasing them, most likely not pleased with the way Yang was driving.

''Yang, I think you need to stop!'' Ruby called out to the older girl with hints of relief in her voice. ''It seems that Vale's finest want to have a word with you about your driving!''

''Rubes, have you never played GTA before!?'' Yang asked with a smirk. ''When the police start chasing you, there's only one thing to do!''

''W-What's that?''

''You escape!''

Before Ruby could even attempt at reasoning with Yang, the blonde sped up even more, causing the police to chase after her. The redhead saw everything around her pass in a blur, as she hanged onto Yang for dear life. The sound of sirens behind them seemed to multiply, indicating that other police cars had joined the chase.

Thanks to Yang speeding up even more, Ruby was unable to tell what was going around her anymore. Everything was going past her too fast to make sense of anything. At this point, the scythe-wielder just hoped that someone would just stop Yang. She didn't even care if she had to go to jail. All she wanted was for this nightmare of a ride to end.

''Look, Rubes! We are going to get away from them!'' Yang suddenly exclaimed excitedly, causing Ruby to take a look at what was in front of them. Much to her horror, she saw a large bridge that was lifting up. ''We just need to jump that and we're safe!''

''Yang, I think that only works in movies, not real life!'' the redhead pleaded, hoping that she could reason with the older girl. ''Please just give up and stop while we are still alive!''

''Oh, but Ruby, don't you know what they say? All fiction is based of reality!''

''I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS EVER SAID THAT!''

Ignoring the younger girl's pleas, Yang sped up even more, fully intending to make the jump. Ruby closed her eyes and prepared herself to meet the afterlife. She felt how the motorcycle seemed to fly up in the air, as the sound of screeching tires and cars crashing into each other told her that the police had given up and did their best to stop themselves.

For a moment, all the redhead felt was the feeling of flying through the air, until there was the sudden feeling of landing on ground.

''Ha! Did you see that, Ruby!? We have successfully evaded the cops! All thanks to my amazing motorcycle skills!'' Yang called out to the younger girl happily, only to not receive any answer. ''...Rubes?''

The blonde gave a quick look behind her to see that Ruby had fallen unconscious from fear, as she was clutching onto the older girl like her life depended on it.

''...Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,'' Yang mumbled to herself.

* * *

Some time later, Ruby started to wake up. She opened her eyes to see that she was laying on a park bench. For a moment, the sniper was confused as to how she got there, but memories soon flooded her mind, reminding her of exactly what had happened.

''Glad to see you're awake,'' Yang called out, causing Ruby to look at her. The brawler had a smile on her face as she was walking up to the younger girl with a bottle of water in each hand. ''You had me worried there for a second. Didn't think that you would just faint like that.''

''I thought that I was going to die! What did you think would happen!?'' Ruby said angrily. ''What made you think that I was going to be okay with this!?''

''Well, your Semblance gives you speed and you like running around everywhere,'' the blonde replied with a shrug as she tossed one of the water bottles to the redhead. ''Figured that you would like to go fast.''

''Yeah, but when I'm running around with my Semblance, I have a lot more control over my movements!'' Ruby said as she opened the bottle and drank some of the water. ''Was this what you had planned for us? Because if this is it, I think I'll be better off going back on the bus.''

''Nah. I've got something good planned for us,'' Yang answered with a grin. ''If you look behind you, you can see just what I'm talking about.''

The scythe-wielder did as she was told and looked behind her to see a very large building behind her. Over the front door was a sign that said ''Pizza & Arcade,'' telling her just what was inside there. Now that Ruby was paying attention to the place, she could hear the sounds of game machines and even smell the delicious pizza.

''Judging by the way you're looking at it, I'm guessing you're getting pretty excited as well,'' Yang said with a smile. ''This place opened up not too long ago and I've been wanting to try it out ever since I heard about it. Wanna go in?''

''Yes!'' Ruby said with childish excitement. ''I wanna go see what it's like!''

''Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go see what they've got to offer.''

As soon as the two girls got inside, all of their senses were bombarded with everything the place had to offer. The delicious smell of pizza filled their noses and the sounds of games were ringing in their ears. Both of them scanned the place with their eyes, wondering what would be the best thing to start with.

''So, what should we start with?'' Yang asked. ''Should we go for some pizza first or play some games?''

''Let's play something first,'' Ruby answered. ''I'm not all that hungry yet, so let's try some games for now.''

The blonde gave a nod and the duo made their way deeper into the arcade, looking for the first game to start with. They eventually discovered a dancing game that no one was using at the moment.

''What do you think, Yang?'' Ruby asked with a smirk. ''Wanna test your dancing skills against me?''

''You dare challenge me in dancing?'' Yang asked in a mock hurt tone. ''I'll show you the skills I've built up by going to clubs.''

The two girls put their coins in the machine and the game started. The song started slow but started to pick up the pace, making it harder to keep up. Yang was calmly and precisely doing her movements, when she decided to glance at Ruby. She was certain that the younger girl was doing all sorts of goofy movements while trying her best to keep up.

However, the brawler was shocked to see that not only was Ruby not only playing the game perfectly, she was actually dancing really well. Yang's mouth fell open as she watched the young team leader's movements. The blonde was so mesmerized by this that she actually stopped playing the game. Instead, she stepped away from the machine and took out her Scroll to film Ruby's dancing.

While Ruby was busy dancing, Yang took a look around and saw that many others in the arcade had also come to watch the redhead's dance. Some even did the same thing the blonde did and pulled out their Scrolls to film it.

 _'That's right people. You can look, but you can't touch. She's all mine,'_ Yang thought to herself with a smirk.

The song finally ended, causing Ruby to stop dancing, much to the disappointment of everyone watching. The young team leader took a look at the screen to see that she had gotten the new high score on the game. A proud smile came to her lips and she turned around to see the crowd that had gathered around her.

''Umm... Did I do something wrong?'' Ruby asked as she looked at all the people watching her.

''Don't worry about it, Rubes. You were amazing,'' Yang said as she went to grab her date by the shoulder and drag her away. ''Now, how about we go find something else to play?''

The two girls went on to try some of the other arcade games. Shooting games, fighting games, just about every type of game was given a try. However, Yang was a bit saddened that Ruby wouldn't try the motorcycle racing game, but she understood the redhead's reason for that. After spending a good amount of time playing games, the two girls had some pizza before leaving.

''Man, that was a ton of fun!'' Ruby said happily. ''I guess we're going back to Beacon now that we're done here, right?''

''Nope! Not yet!'' Yang said with a grin. ''There's still one place that I'm taking you to.''

The younger girl gave her companion a puzzled look and asked, ''What place is that?''

''It's a place where I'm going to make use of your newly discovered talent for dancing.''

* * *

After a ride on Yang's motorcycle, the two girls arrived at a club. The blonde had decided to ease up on speed this time, as she didn't want to scare the redhead like she had previously. However, Ruby was still afraid of Yang speeding again and tightened her hold on the older girl every time she felt the motorcycle pick up speed.

''Alright, here we are, Rubes!'' Yang said happily as she got up from her bike, only for Ruby to rise up with her. The sniper was hanging onto her so tightly that she was pretty much attached to the taller girl. ''As much as I like you holding onto me, I think you should let go. Besides, we have stopped. It's already safe.''

''Yeah... I'll try my best to let go,'' Ruby whimpered and attempted to let go of Yang, only to remain attached to the older girl. ''Nope. Not happening. Still too scared.''

Yang rolled her eyes, but still smiled. If it were anybody else other than Ruby, she wouldn't tolerate this at all, But since it was the girl she loved, she didn't really mind it at all. In fact, the brawler found it quite adorable how the sniper was hanging onto her. But still, she needed to get Ruby to let go, no matter how much either of them disliked it. In order to accomplish this, Yang reached behind her to tickle the younger girl's sides, causing her to lose her grip and fall to the ground.

''Hey, that was mean!'' Ruby said with a pout. ''You should be more considerate to my feelings! You did traumatize me with your driving earlier!''

''Oh, don't be such a baby!'' Yang said with a grin and helped the younger girl up. ''Besides, we are about to have a real good time now!''

The two girls walked into the building. As soon as they walked in, loud music could be heard everywhere. Ruby looked around and saw people dancing to the music and a bar to the side with people enjoying drinks. It didn't take long for Ruby to realize that they were in a club.

''Yang, what are we doing here!?'' the young team leader whispered in a panicked voice. ''You know that I can't go to clubs! I'm too young!''

''No need to worry, Rubes. I know the owner of this place, so it's okay,'' Yang said with a smile and glanced at some of Junior's goons that were standing nearby. They knew better than to pick a fight with the blonde and just pretended like nothing was wrong. ''Besides, after I saw you dance earlier today, I just knew that I had to see more of it. I'm going to get you to that dance floor, no matter what.''

Yang took hold of Ruby's hand and led her to the dance floor. It took a while for the younger girl to get used to her surroundings, but she soon got into it and was dancing along with everybody.

The brawler smiled as she saw her date dance just as well as she had in the arcade. While they had been able to merge with the crowd of dancers, there was a good amount of people who decided to watch Ruby's moves. There were some who even tried to get to dance with the redhead, but Yang managed to prevent them from getting close. No one but her was going to enjoy Ruby's moves tonight. Those who were foolish enough to even think about challenging the blonde were treated to a terrifying glare from her, causing them to back away. This way Yang had successfully set up her territory around Ruby.

Eventually, the girls got a bit tired from dancing and decided to take a break. Yang led Ruby to a nearby table, telling her to sit down and wait while she went to get them some drinks. The brawler felt safe leaving the scythe-wielder alone for a second, as she had already made it clear to everyone else in the club that that the younger girl was not to be touched by anyone else but her. She was certain that no one would be foolish enough to challenge her anymore.

Oh, how wrong she was.

As Ruby was waiting for Yang to return with drinks, two pairs of eyes were staring at the young team leader, taking in every detail of her body. And what they saw, they liked very much. It seemed like Ruby had gotten herself some more admirers.

The redhead was sitting at the table, looking around and enjoying the music, when she suddenly heard someone tap their finger on the table. She turned around to look at the person, expecting it to be Yang. However, she was surprised to see two identical girls there, looking at her with smiles on their faces. If it weren't for their different hairstyles and the fact that one was wearing red and the other white, it would have been impossible to tell them apart. Little did Ruby know that these two were the Malachite twins, top goons in Junior's gang.

''Hey there, cutie,'' Melanie said in a flirty tone as she continued to look over the redhead. ''What brings you here?''

''Me? Oh, I just came here with a friend of mine,'' Ruby replied nervously, intimidated by the twins a bit. ''I think she wanted to see me dance or something like that.''

''Dance? Sounds lovely,'' Miltia purred as she leaned over the table and stared the younger girl's eyes, causing her to blush. ''Why don't you come dance with us? I'm sure your ''friend'' won't mind and we really want to see how you move as well.''

''I-I'm not so sure,'' the sniper replied as she tried to back away from the twins, only for them to get closer. ''I-I mean, she told me to w-wait while she went to get us drinks. I think it would be wrong for me to just leave like that.''

''Don't be like that, darling,'' the white-clad twin said while bringing her face close to Ruby's. ''I mean, your friend's pretty mean to just leave you all alone like this. It's not fair for you to stay here, all bored while waiting for her. You should be having fun with us. Isn't that right, sis?''

''I absolutely agree,'' the red-clad twin said. ''Now, how about we take you to the dance floor and show you a really good time?''

''Actually, I don't think that will be possible, since my friend returned. And she seems to be a bit unhappy,'' Ruby said as she pointed behind the twins.

The Malachites turned around, ready to scare away whoever was in their way of having a good time with the lovely redhead, only for their eyes to go wide and faces to turn pale upon seeing who was behind them. There stood Yang Xiao Long, holding two sodas in her hands and looking VERY angry.

''Might I ask just what in the hell do you think you're doing with MY Ruby!?'' Yang asked with rage in every word as she crushed the glasses she had been holding in her hands.

''Not you again!'' the Malachite twins whined before the blonde grabbed their heads and bashed them together, leaving the twins in a daze.

''I'll teach you to mess with someone else's girl!'' Yang growled as she took hold of the front of Melanie's shirt and threw her towards the DJ's booth, her body crashing into the machines there. The brawler then threw Miltia to the bar. She hit the wall with all the bottles and fell to the floor with bottles falling on top of her in the process.

''Hey! What do you think you're-!?'' one of Junior's goons shouted as he and a couple of his colleagues ran towards Yang with weapons at the ready, only to stop upon recognizing the blonde. ''Oh no... Not you...''

''WHO ELSE WANTS SOME!?'' Yang screamed in her rage, ready to take on anybody that seemed like a threat. Seeing someone try to take Ruby away from her had sent her in a berserker rage, where she was no longer listening to any reason. She was just fighting against all of her ''enemies'' that were trying to harm her or Ruby.

While Yang went on to rampage through Junior's club, Ruby had hidden herself under the table she had been sitting at. While she would normally try to go and stop Yang from causing such destruction, the brawler seemed very terrifying at the moment. The redhead was afraid of getting struck by Yang on accident, if she were to go anywhere near her. There was also the fact that something was odd about the people working at the club. Ruby could have sworn that she had seen people like them before somewhere, but was unable to recall where. However, she did know that they weren't your average security guards.

''I need to stop this somehow! Maybe if I can reach Yang, I might be able to-'' Ruby said to herself while trying to think of some method of ending the mayhem, when she saw Yang swinging a large table around as melee weapon while roaring in anger, causing the sniper to go back to hiding. ''...Then again, I don't want to get killed. Is there no way of stopping this!?''

Just as Ruby was starting to fall into despair, she heard the sound of police sirens from the outside. She let out a sigh of relief as it seemed like this nightmare would come to an end.

* * *

''...Well, this is not the way I thought this night would end,'' Ruby mumbled angrily as she stood behind the bars of a jail cell.

Once the police arrived, Yang started to calm down. Somehow, the sound of their sirens managed to get through to her despite her rage, so the fighting at the club came to a stop. It seemed like Junior had enough of the damages being caused to his place, forcing him to finally call the police, despite the fact that he himself was a criminal. The crime boss just wanted to minimize the damages for once, even at the risk of his illegal businesses getting discovered.

However, while Ruby was not surprised to see Yang get arrested, she was shocked when even she was handcuffed. Apparently, Junior had seen the redhead with the brawler and considered her to be at least somewhat responsible for the damages as well. Or he just wanted anyone associated with Yang to go into jail as revenge, who knew.

Right now, Ruby was quite upset over how their day had come to an end, which was honestly an understatement. The redheaded girl was ready to blow at any minute, if someone were to anger her any further.

And that someone would be Yang.

The blonde was sharing the cell with the younger girl and was sitting on her bed, staring at Ruby. Despite how things had gone, Yang had honestly wanted the sniper to have fun. She had just made a couple of mistakes along the way. Right now, the brawler just hoped that she could somehow lighten the mood or something.

''Well... we are certainly seeing different types of _bars_ today. Am I right?'' Yang joked with nervousness in her voice, hoping to ease Ruby's mood. ''Get it? Bars, as in the bar at the club and the jail cell?''

''Yang, I get,'' the young team leader said as she clenched her fists in an attempt at controlling her rage. ''However, I don't think this is the time or the place for bad puns.''

''Oh, come on, Rubes,'' the blonde started. ''You shouldn't get _locked up_ like that.''

Ruby finally had enough. It was bad enough that she was in jail for something that wasn't her fault, but having to listen to Yang's horrible puns was the last straw.

''GODDAMMIT, YANG!'' the sniper screamed at the top of her lungs, surprising the brawler. She then turned to glare at the older girl, causing her to shrink in fear and shame. ''Do you really think I'm in the mood for your lame puns right now!? I've just been arrested for a mess YOU caused, and I don't even want to imagine how our teammates are going to react to this! Let alone the teachers or dad!''

''I'm sorry,'' the blonde apologized while looking down in shame. ''I honestly didn't want anything like this to happen. I just wanted to have fun with you.''

''Well, that certainly failed!'' Ruby said with an angry huff and turned away from the older girl. ''Seriously, why did you have to go so overboard!? You didn't need to attack anybody!''

''I just... didn't want them to take you from me,'' Yang said in a heartbroken tone.

This caught the young team leader by surprise. While she knew that the older girl was quite protective of her, the words she used implied that there was a deeper meaning behind her actions earlier.

''What do you mean by that?'' Ruby asked.

''Remember what I told you during Halloween? How we haven't been able to spend as much time as we used to when we were kids? Well, it's about that,'' Yang answered. ''The one thing I wanted from this day was to get to spend time with you alone. No teammates, teachers or anyone else, Just the two of us, hanging out.''

''Yang, I know that we don't have the time for just the two of us, but that doesn't mean we can't hang out,'' the redhead said as she went to sit next to the older girl. ''While it's not exactly just the two of us, we still get to hang out through our team activities.''

''IT'S NOT THE SAME!'' Yang screamed angrily, shocking the younger girl. ''What I want is for just the two of us to spend time together! Is that too much to ask!? We grew up together like sisters! How is it so hard for us to spend time together without anyone else butting in!?''

The blonde was taking deep breaths to calm herself, while Ruby was staring at her with wide eyes. Never had she expected that Yang would feel this way.

''I know it's selfish and I know that it's not something that can be controlled as much as I want, but come on! Are you telling me that just because we're in Beacon that we can't spend time together!? If I had known that getting into our school would cost that much, I would have never gone there or let you go there! There are just some things more valuable than that!'' the brawler ranted. ''Sometimes I even wonder if we know each other anymore...''

''W-What do you mean by that?'' Ruby asked.

''You're growing up, Ruby. A lot more than you know,'' Yang said as she began stroking the younger girl's cheek with her hand. ''Before you came to Beacon, you were a shy girl that was afraid of getting to know anybody. But now, you are making friends left and right. You are facing some of the largest monsters our world knows without any fear, while getting top marks in our tests. It's almost like you're a different person now and that scares me. I don't know if you have any room for me in your life, so I wanted to show you what I am. I wanted you to see what kind of a person I am and if you'd want me to be a part of your life anymore.''

''Yang... I think I said it already that you can't be replaced. You're someone way too dear for me,'' the redhead said. ''There's no way that any school or any person could just suddenly push you out of my life. There's just no possible way for that to happen.''

''How can I be sure of that?'' the blonde asked with tears in her eyes. ''How do I know that you won't forget about me in favor of someone who doesn't cause you problems like I do?''

''Because you are more than worth any bad things that may come with you. And I will make time for us from now on,'' Ruby answered as she pulled the older girl into a hug. ''Even if there were bad things that happened today, it still doesn't take away all the good time I had with you. It's been a while since I've had this much fun and you were the one that made it possible.''

''You.. You really mean that?'' Yang asked as tears of happiness fell from her eyes. ''You're really going to make time for the two of us?''

''I promise, Yang. I'll make sure that we'll have time for the two of us,'' the sniper answered.

The two girls stayed like that for a while, hugging each other and enjoying each other's warmth. After some time passed, Ruby pulled back, much to Yang's displeasure.

''How about we get some sleep? We both have had a long day and could use a rest,'' the redhead suggested as she got up and started to walk towards her bed. However, she was suddenly stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Yang standing there with a blush on her face.

''Can I... Can I sleep with you?'' the blonde asked nervously. ''I kind of don't feel like sleeping alone.''

Ruby let out a small sigh and replied with a smile, ''Alright, you big baby. You can sleep next to me.''

Yang let out a happy cheer as the two girls went to lie on the bed. It didn't take long for Ruby to fall asleep, but the brawler stayed awake. She was enjoying herself by staring at the younger girl's sleeping face. At that moment, Yang felt like everything was perfect in the world.

Unfortunately, she was so distracted by the sleeping scythe-wielder that she failed to notice the red portal that opened right behind her. Because of this, Yang was unprepared for the pair of arms that came from the portal and grabbed her, pulling her to the portal. One of the hands even covered her mouth, preventing her from screaming for help.

After getting pulled through the portal, Yang was thrown to the ground. Upon being released, she immediately got up in a fighting stance, ready to beat up whoever had taken her. However, confusion soon came over her, when she noticed who her attacker was. It was none other than the masked woman that had saved her from Neo, holding up her hands as a sign to say that she was no threat.

''Calm down, Yang. I mean you no harm,'' the masked woman said calmly. ''I'm only here to talk.''

''Who are you and what do you want from me!?'' Yang asked, still angry over what had happened. But despite her first question, she was pretty sure she knew this woman.

''I thought that you would already know,'' the masked lady said as she took off her mask, revealing herself as Raven Branwen, Yang's mother. ''After all, you have been searching for me for quite some time.''

The blonde's eyes turned red upon seeing her mother's face. After all the years she had been searching for this lady, she was finally in front of her. There were many questions that she had wanted to ask, but right now anger was blocking all of them. And when Yang gets angry, she tends to do one thing.

''GODDAMMIT!'' the brawler screamed in rage as she charged towards Raven in an attempt at punching her. But despite her efforts, the raven-haired woman was too skilled for her. Raven easily dodged all the attacks, before going behind her daughter and putting her in a headlock.

''Stop it, Yang!'' Raven commanded. ''I know that you are angry at me. I know that you most likely hate me, but I swear that I didn't come here to fight you! Please stop this and I will answer any questions you have! I promise.''

It took her a bit of time, but Yang was able to calm herself. Seeing the girl calm down, Raven let go of her, allowing her to take a step back from her mother. Now that she was calm and free, the blonde looked around a bit to see where she was. She was standing in the middle of a forest with no signs of civilization in sight.

''I guess you wanted this to be just between us then,'' Yang said after looking around. ''So, you said that you wanted to talk, right? How about we start by you telling me why you decided to abandon me? Last time I checked, that's not exactly acceptable behavior from a mother.''

''That's one of the things I was thinking of telling you about. However, I feel like in order to properly explain myself, I'm going to have to go back quite a bit, thus making this a pretty long story,'' Raven explained. ''Is that alright with you?''

''I've got time,'' the brawler said as she crossed her arms over her chest. ''Talk.''

''You see, me and my brother, Qrow, didn't go to Beacon in order to become Huntsmen,'' the swordswoman began. ''We were sent there by our tribe to learn how to kill them. However, as time went by, our view on our mission changed. This was all thanks to Ruby's mother, Summer. It was thanks to her that we began to view the world differently and wanted to protect it like her. Our team became very close, almost like a family, and we even became skilled enough to get noticed by Ozpin personally.''

''That's nice and all, except the part about you two learning how to kill Huntsmen,'' Yang said. ''However, I fail to see what this has got to do with me.''

''I'm getting to that in time. Just wait a moment,'' Raven answered before continuing her story. ''Despite our team being close, there was something that was causing strain between us. There was a love-triangle going on between me, Summer and your father, Taiyang. Can you guess who was in love with who?''

''I'm guessing you and Summer were in love with my dad?''

''No, Yang. While Summer was in love with Tai, he was in love with me. However, I was in love with Summer,'' Raven answered, causing Yang to go wide-eyed. ''No matter how much I tried, Summer wouldn't fall for me at all. She was completely dedicated to Tai and no one else could change that. That eventually... led to me destroying our team.''

''What do you mean by that?''

''Since I couldn't get Summer to love me, I got angry at her. I wanted to get back at her no matter what. This led to me getting together with Taiyang, the man she loved. I did all of it just to hurt Summer, who had left me heartbroken. Only when you were born did I realize just how petty I had been. This caused me to be ashamed of myself and to leave you and Taiyang.''

Yang's eyes started to switch between lilac and red. She was gritting her teeth and her fists were clenched as she tried to hold back her anger.

''You mean to tell me that the reason I was born was just so that you could get back at someone who didn't return your feelings to them!? That you never brought me to this world out of any kind of love!?'' the blonde asked with hatred dripping from her words.

''Yes,'' Raven answered while looking down in shame. ''I'm sorry, Yang. Only when it was too late did I realize just how shameful my actions had been. I couldn't bear it and I abandoned both you and Tai.''

The raven-haired woman looked up as her daughter suddenly stood in front of her. For the first time in years, Raven felt fear go through her body as she stared at Yang. The blonde girl's eyes were red from rage as she stared down at her mother.

''I should hurt you,'' Yang said with barely contained anger. ''I should hurt you for all the pain you've caused. For my dad's broken heart. For stabbing Summer and Uncle Qrow in the back. And for everything you've done to me.''

''You have every right to that,'' Raven said. ''However, I ask that you let me finish speaking first. Then you may do whatever you feel like to me.''

Hearing her mother's promise, the brawler decided to hold back on attacking the woman for now. She took a step back and gave Raven a nod, telling her to continue her story.

''Soon after I left, I met with Qrow. To say the least, he wasn't happy with how I had been acting,'' the swordswoman said. ''Not only was he angry at me for what I had done to Tai and you, but he was also angry about the pain I caused to Summer. He told me that after I had taken Tai from her, she had ended up with an old classmate of ours. However, that man was not reliable and was barely working as a Huntsman. Qrow was certain that Summer's life with him would be a painful one. At first, I was taken over by rage over someone unworthy of Summer's love using her. I wanted to go and punish that man, but I stopped myself. What right did I have to go and decide over the lives of others? Especially after all I had done? Besides, Summer had changed me and Qrow. Why wouldn't she be able to do it with her new man? I decided to simply return to my tribe and disappear.''

''So what happened next?'' Yang asked. ''Did you ever feel like coming back to see anyone?''

''Of course I did. Not a single day went by without me thinking about my old team or you. The guilt I felt was worse than any pain I had ever felt in my life and it eventually became unbearable. I had to go see you and Tai, to make sure you were fine. However, when I arrived, I saw that Summer was there with him, raising you and Ruby. I later learned from Qrow that Ruby was Summer's daughter from her previous relationship. Her man had left her after she gave birth and she needed help, thus making her go to Tai. It was upon finding out about this that I knew that I had no place with you anymore. I had long lost my right to that.''

''But if you felt like that, why did you come and save me on that train? If you had truly left, you wouldn't have even been near then.''

''Even if I am no longer worthy of being your mother, I still feel responsible of you. That's why I have been watching over you every now and then in secret, watching how you've been growing up to become a Huntress. Even if I'm not going to be part of your life, I still can't just allow anything bad to happen to you. That's why I saved you back then.''

''So what changed your mind about this? Why are you suddenly in front of me and not watching over me in secret?''

''Because I don't want you to go through what I did,'' Raven answered. ''I see myself and Summer in you and Ruby. I wish to help you, so that you won't have to go through the same heartache I did all those years ago. I want you to live in happiness, even if I don't deserve to be by your side.''

''Wait. Are you saying that-?'' Yang began to ask, her eyes going wide with realization.

''Yes. I want to help you with getting you and Ruby together,'' the swordswoman said, cutting off her daughter. ''I want to see you achieve the one thing that I wasn't able to and live happily. While I have no doubt that you have a great chance of achieving this, Ruby is a very special girl and she has gathered quite a group of admirers. I feel that any help you can get is necessary. That is if you'll allow me to aid you.''

Yang stared into her mother's eyes for any signs of deceit. However, all she could tell was that the woman was completely serious. She wanted to help her get together with Ruby.

''You know, I never could have guessed this,'' the blonde girl said. ''Never in my life would I have thought that the mother that left me would come back to me after years of me looking for her and hear her say that she wants to help me get the girl I love.''

''Are you saying that you don't want my help?'' Raven asked with a hint of sadness in her eyes. ''I can understand that. After all I have made you go through-''

''I didn't say that!'' Yang said, cutting off her mother. ''I mean, I'm still angry at you for everything you've done, but I know that there's a part of you that does care about me. After all, why would you have saved me on that train if you didn't? And now you're here, telling me all this and offering to help me with Ruby. As much as I hate to admit it, I could use the help. My rivals are quite tough and I need every advantage that I can get.''

''Yang... Do you mean that...?'' the raven-haired woman began asking with her eyes full of hope.

''Yes, mom. I'm going to let you help me,'' the blonde girl answered with a smile, causing her mother to suddenly hug her from joy, which Yang returned.

After a moment of hugging, the two ladies broke their embrace and stepped back. It was time for Raven to take Yang back to her cell. Otherwise, she would get into more trouble than she was already in. With a swing of her sword, the raven-haired woman opened up the portal for her daughter to step through. Before Yang left, she gave one final nod to her mother, telling her goodbye silently.

However, little did the brawler know that she was in for a rather unfortunate surprise.

''Well, that was certainly not as bad as I suspected. All in all, I'd have to say that today has been a success,'' Yang said to herself as she stepped out of the portal, causing it to close up. As soon as this happened, a wide grin spread across the blonde's face, as she remembered that she would get to sleep in the same bed as Ruby. ''Now, where was I? I think it's time for me to enjoy some-''

The words died in Yang's throat as she suddenly noticed the lack of a certain redhead. She looked around her cell, but was unable to see any sign of the younger girl.

 _I don't understand! Where's Ruby!?'_ the brawler thought to herself in a panic as she kept looking around, until she noticed something red in the cell across from hers. Upon further inspection, she realized that it was Ruby. Raven had accidentally taken her to the wrong cell. _'ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?'_

Yang noticed that a guard was walking past their cells and immediately ran up to the bars to speak to him.

''Hey, pal! I'm not supposed to be here! I should be somewhere else!'' the blonde girl said to the guard, catching his attention.

''Yeah, that's what they all say,'' the guard muttered.

''Not like that! I mean that I'm supposed to be in a different cell!'' Yang said angrily. ''Don't you see that I'm in a different cell than before!?''

''I have no idea. This is my first time seeing you, so you must have been brought here while I was away.''

''Oh, for the love of-! Look, I should be sharing the cell with that redheaded girl over there!'' the blonde girl said and pointed at Ruby. ''Just take me to her cell, okay!? I promise that I won't cause any trouble!''

''...I get it. You're some sort of a pervert, aren't you?'' the guard said, not believing Yang at all.

''What!? No! She can prove it!'' Yang replied before yelling at Ruby, ''Rubes, wake up! Tell this guy that we should be in the same cell!''

The only answer the brawler got from the sniper was her just pulling the covers over her head, clearly not intending to wake up.

''She seems to believe you as much as I do,'' the guard said before continuing on his way. ''Anyways, I've got better things to do. Goodnight.''

Yang could only sulk as her chance to sleep in the same bed as Ruby was taken away from her. She also couldn't help but wonder how helpful her mother would truly be in the end. At the very least, this was a bad first experience.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry that this took so long. Not only did it turn out longer than I had anticipated, but I was also busy with other work. However, now it's done and the whole ''four-part small story'' is finally done, which is a huge relief to me.**

 **Now, I have been considering starting a new story and some of you even asked me about that. However, I have decided not to do that one yet. The reason is that I want to first have a better idea on how that story goes. I still have other stories that I want to do, so you will see something new from me quite soon possibly. I'm also considering to concentrate on this story more, so I can get it done.**

 **Lastly, I would like to ask you people something. When you go into a new story, don't only read the summary. Read ALL the information there is for the story. Especially the pairings. It saves you and the writer time and trouble. If you want to know what I'm talking about, go to the reviews on my story ''Unwelcome Visitor'' and look up the two ''reviews'' left by EmperorRevan and you'll see what I'm talking about.**


	34. Switching Places (Part 1)

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 34: Switching Places (Part 1)**

* * *

It had been a couple of days since Ruby had her adventures with her teammates and things had calmed down a bit since. After the young team leader had done her favors to the three older girls, she had been forgiven for the film she made of them. It seemed like everything was fine with team RWBY again.

However, nothing good lasts forever and trouble would be coming soon. This time it came in the form of one of the Atlesian military's newest projects that was under Winter's observation. The white-haired woman had actually called her two comrades from the WGC and her rivals, the WBY, to test it out. They needed at least six people to test it out and Winter was certain that she could somehow benefit by having her rivals in love be part of the test. Not to mention, she would never want to put Ruby in any possible harm.

The six ladies were walking through the building where the SDC was currently developing all sorts of different machines. While some of Winter's companions were looking around with curiosity, especially Cinder, there was one person who wasn't excited at all. That was Yang Xiao Long.

''Would you remind me why I had to join you on your stupid sci-fi project?'' Yang asked, obviously not wanting to be there. ''I could be doing a lot of better things at the moment. Many of which involve Ruby.''

''You are here because I need six people, myself included, for this test,'' Winter said with a slightly angry tone, not liking the way the blonde had just spoken or the fact that she talked about doing things with Ruby. ''I chose you people, because Huntsmen have better chances at getting out unharmed from these types of things and it's preferable to have people that I know take part in this.''

''Why do you need people that you know?'' Glynda asked out of curiosity.

''Oh, I know why!'' Yang said as she held up her hand, like a student wanting to answer a question in school. ''It's so that she can have a real tragic backstory, after we have all either died or turned into mutants from her weird project!''

Blake slapped the back of her partner's head and said, ''Stop watching so many movies!''

''Just to make it clear, that is NOT the reason,'' Winter said with a small frown, irritated by Yang's behavior. ''The reason is that I know I can trust you all. There are some very secret projects here and they absolutely must not fall into the wrong hands. That's why I chose you all. None of you would ever let any of this go to the wrong people. Understood?''

The white-haired woman looked as all of her guests told her that they understood, except for one. When she didn't hear Cinder's voice among the others, she looked around and found her comrade stand near a window, looking through it at some new robot the scientists behind the glass were working on. Little did Winter know that the raven-haired woman had her Scroll in her hand, ready to take a picture.

''Cinder, what are you doing there?'' the soldier asked, surprising said lady so badly that she accidentally dropped her Scroll into a trash bin.

''Oh, nothing! Nothing! Just... looking at what they're working on,'' Cinder lied. ''It's all just... very interesting and exciting to look at, you know?''

''I understand. Some of this stuff has only appeared in fiction so far,'' Winter said with a smirk, happy that someone was interested in the things she was responsible for. ''However, you are allowed to only look. That means no touching and absolutely no pictures or videos. Are we clear?''

''Crystal clear!'' the villainess quickly replied, hoping that no one noticed her Scroll having been out. When the other women continued on their way, she let out a sigh of relief and picked up her Scroll from the trash. Unfortunately, it was broken. ''I knew I should have bought a better one...''

* * *

Cinder went to join the rest of the group and they were soon in a large room. In the middle of the room was a large metal platform with a faintly glowing circle in the middle. The platform was made from metal and had wires running from it to computers and monitors around it. There were all sorts of people there either working on whatever this machine was or looking at the monitors.

''Is this perhaps the thing you wanted us to test with you?'' Glynda asked Winter.

''Yes,'' the soldier answered with a proud smile. ''Care to take a guess what it is?''

''A new Dance Dance Revolution machine?'' Yang said sarcastically, earning groans from her companions.

''Yang... Seriously?'' Weiss asked, frustrated with her teammate.

''Hey, what do you want me to say!?'' the blonde replied angrily. ''I'm not into this type of Star Trek junk, so I have no idea what it could be! Why won't our host tell us, since she's behind it, after all!?''

Winter sighed and calmed herself. It wouldn't do any good for her to get worked up over Yang's antics.

''It's a teleporter,'' the white-haired woman said. ''It's supposed to transport objects and living beings to locations away from it.''

''Hang on, why are we testing it on people?'' Blake asked with wide eyes. ''I don't mean to be rude, but shouldn't you first test it with objects and animals to make sure it's safe?''

''Yeah! I've seen The Fly, so I don't anywhere near it!'' Yang exclaimed with her face pale. ''If we go on that thing, we could get mixed together or something! And I don't want to be glued to any of you for the rest of my life!''

Winter's other guests exclaimed their fears and unwillingness to take part in the experiment, fearing what might possibly happen to them as a result. This caused the Atlesian officer to let out another frustrated sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose. This whole thing was starting to give her a headache.

''Would you idiots calm down!?'' Winter barked at her panicking guests, causing them to quiet down. ''I'll have you know that we have already tested this device with both objects and animals, and nothing bad happened on either occasion! The only thing left is to test this thing on humans!''

''But why can't you simply use the people that are working here?'' Weiss asked. ''Surely that's easier and safer than dragging all of us here.''

''That might be true, but... their contracts don't cover such things. In fact, they very specifically state that the employees won't be used for experiments,'' the white-haired woman answered, earning blank stares from her guests. ''I know, I know. General Ironwood and I should have thought a bit more before making those contracts.''

''Well, this is fine and all, but what's in it for us?'' Yang asked. ''You can't honestly believe that we would get dragged along by you for this Frankenstein stuff without getting something in return, right?''

Upon hearing the blonde's question, Winter smirked. She snapped her fingers and one of the nearby researchers walked up to her with a small box in his hands. He gave it to the soldier, who held it up for her guests to see and opened it. The five ladies saw that inside the box was what appeared to be a small version of Ruby Rose. At first, they thought that it was a doll, but were shocked when the supposed doll suddenly stood up by itself.

''Hi, Winter!'' the small Ruby greeted the soldier happily, her voice sounding just like the person she was designed after. ''Did you want to play with me?''

''No right now, Ruby,'' Winter answered in a sweet tone. ''I just wanted to introduce you to my friends. Say hi to them, would you?''

The little redheaded girl turned around and gave the five stunned ladies a big, bright smile and said, ''Hi! My name's Ruby! Wanna play?''

''...What is that?'' Weiss asked while staring at the small version of her team leader with wide eyes.

''This is a new type of robot that I've had some of my scientists build. It's has very realistic feeling artificial skin along with Ms. Rose's voice. It is essentially the most advanced version of a virtual pet that the world has ever seen. You can teach it tricks, have conversations with it and play games with it,'' Winter explained while holding up the small Ruby in her hands proudly. ''Each of you will get one of these, if you accept to be part of our test.''

The soldier handed the little robot to Yang, who carefully picked it up and held it in her hands. Weiss, Blake, Glynda and Cinder quickly surrounded her to get a better look at the miniature version of their beloved rose started to touch it and talk to it. Winter could tell just by listening to her guests that they all loved it, which made her smirk. It seemed like she had her test subjects.

While the white-haired woman's guests were too busy admiring the robot, Winter motioned for the researcher that had handed the little Ruby Rose to her to walk up to her.

''How is the work with the realistically proportioned Ruby Rose robot progressing?'' Winter whispered to the man.

''It's going well. Most of the work on the body has already been done. We just need to work out the programming and it should be ready,'' the researcher answered. Although he kept himself calm, he was honestly very disturbed on the inside. It was very weird for him to work on what was essentially a realistic toy-version of somebody. Especially when he felt he had a good idea of what Winter would do with the one that looked just like the person it was modeled after. _'Honestly, the things I do for a paycheck...'_

''Remember to add the mechanism that allows me to set the size on it's... ''proportions.'' I feel like that will be fun to play with,'' the white-haired woman added with a perverted smile on her face. ''Oh, I can hardly wait until it's ready...''

''I feel the same way...'' the researcher mumbled. _'The sooner I can get to work on something far less disturbing, the better...'_

With her secret conversation done, Winter walked up to her guests, who were still admiring the little Ruby Rose, and asked, ''Do you like it? If so, does that mean you accept my offer?''

''YES! ABSOLUTELY!'' the WBY, Glynda and Cinder yelled happily at the same time, making the soldier grin.

''Fantastic! So how about we go and get this experiment started then?'' Winter suggested to which her guests nodded.

While the group of six women were heading to test out the teleporter, there was an intruder that had sneaked in, following after them. This person was Raven Branwen, who had come there to make sure that her daughter would not be defeated in her war over Ruby's love. The raven-haired woman narrowed her eyes as she stared at Winter, fully intent on ruining whatever the soldier was planning.

 _'You may have fooled them, Winter Schnee, but you will never fool me!'_ Raven declared to herself. _'I know your true colors. You couldn't care less about using this teleporter for the sake of the Atlesian military or the world! You're planning to use it in order to get Ruby for yourself, thus leaving my daughter in bitter loneliness!'_

The swordswoman could imagine her daughter's rival using the teleporter for her won sake. She could use it to teleport directly to Ruby, thus giving her the edge in asking the redhead out on dates. Or maybe to send her rivals far away from the young team leader. Or even in order to win the war over Ruby for certain, Winter might use the machine to kidnap Ruby for herself! Whatever the white-haired woman was planning, Raven swore to put a stop to it.

Winter was standing at the teleporter's platform with the other five ladies, while all the scientists were running around, making preparations. They would soon start their experiment.

''Alright, get ready, you guys,'' the soldier told her comrades. ''First we are just going to get teleported to the empty room next to this one. After that, we are going to move on to longer distances. Is that okay?''

''Sure. Let's just get this party started, so we can have our little Rubies already!'' Yang said with the others agreeing with her.

''Start the experiment!'' Winter yelled to the people controlling the teleporter. Upon getting the command, the scientists started to prepare the machine, readying it to transport their test subjects.

However, no one noticed Raven sneaking around in the background. The raven-haired woman went and threw a small container of Dust at one of the control panels, hoping that it would destroy Winter's machine. The Dust exploded into lightning, damaging the controls. But unlike Raven had hoped, it didn't stop the teleporter. Instead, there was a quick blue flash and the six ladies on the teleporter suddenly vanished.

While the scientists were running around, trying to figure out what happened, Raven was already sneaking out of the place. The raven-haired woman had a proud smile on her face, as she was certain that she had just ensured her daughter's ''victory'' over Ruby.

''With her rivals gone, Yang is sure to win Ruby for herself now! My daughter's happy future is guaranteed!'' Raven said to herself proudly. However, her joy was suddenly stopped once she remembered that Yang had been on the teleporter with her rivals. ''Oh wait... I might have made a big mistake...''

* * *

Back with the WBY and the WGC, the two groups suddenly dropped out of the sky and into the ground. The ladies were groaning in pain from the rough landing as they slowly got up, wondering what had just happened.

''Hey, Winter, was this part of the plan?'' Yang asked while she got up. ''I thought we were supposed to transport to the next room, not outside the building.''

''I know. Some sort of a mistake must have happened with the settings,'' the soldier answered. ''The important thing is that we are all okay.''

''That is fine and all, but does anyone have any idea where we are?'' Cinder asked. ''I think our biggest worry right now is getting home.''

''That's an easy question to answer. Just look behind you,'' Blake said and pointed at something behind the raven-haired woman. All the other ladies turned to look at where she was pointing and saw none other than Beacon Academy behind them.

''I guess we're in luck. Now we don't have to worry about the travel back home,'' Yang said. ''Anyways, I'm going to go find Ruby and tell her I'm back.''

''Now, hold on a second! I'm coming with you!'' Weiss stated with a frown, not liking the idea of Yang being alone with her crush. ''I need to make sure that my partner knows that I have returned safely, so she doesn't need to worry about me anymore!''

''I'm coming, too,'' Blake said. ''As Ruby's teammate, she should be informed of my return. By me, of course.''

''Just when I thought I could have some time alone with Rubes,'' Yang mumbled to herself in disappointment.

''As much as I would like to go see Ms. Rose myself, I'm going to have to inform Ozpin that I'm back,'' Glynda said. ''The school needs to know that I'm available for teaching again.''

''And I need to go see Emerald and Mercury,'' Cinder said with a sigh. ''I need to make sure they haven't gotten themselves into any trouble while I was gone.''

''I also have to go and inform the research station of what happened they need to know that we are all fine,'' Winter said.

With everyone having their own destination, the ladies started each to head their own way. The WBY were the only ones sticking together, as the three girls were all heading towards their dorm, hoping to find Ruby.

* * *

As the WBY were walking down the halls of Beacon, Yang noticed something red from the corner of her eye and stopped. She could have sworn that she just saw Ruby's cloak disappear behind a corner.

''Yang, why did you stop?'' Blake asked. Weiss was also looking at her blonde teammate, wondering what was going on with her.

''I think I just saw Ruby,'' Yang answered and started heading towards where she thought she saw her beloved teammate, with the monochrome duo following her. After going where the blonde was sure she had seen Ruby go, they did indeed see the younger girl there. All of the three older girls smiled upon seeing the girl they loved once again.

''Rubes, we're back!'' Yang exclaimed happily, hoping that the redhead would run up to her and hug her.

However, the WBY were shocked by what Ruby actually did. Upon recognizing her teammates, the redhead's face turned pale with fear and she began to run away from her teammates like her life depended on it.

''What the-? Why is she running away from us?'' Yang asked, confused by what the younger girl was doing. ''Doesn't recognize us or something?''

''No, she definitely knows it's us,'' Weiss said. ''Something is wrong. We have to catch up to her.''

The WBY ran after their team leader, who seemed to be intent on not getting close to them. As soon as the redhead noticed that her teammates were chasing her, she picked up her pace and ran faster. However, while the three older girls would normally be unable to keep up with their leader's speed thanks to her Semblance, now they had very little difficulty in running after her. In fact, they were slowly but surely gaining on her.

''Something's not right. Usually we would be struggling while trying to simply follow Ruby. Now we barely even need to try and we're already getting closer to her,'' Blake said while running after her crush. ''It's almost like she doesn't even have her Semblance anymore.''

''Yeah, something weird is definitely going on here and we need to find out what,'' Yang said. ''I think it's about time we ended this little marathon of ours.''

The blonde suddenly picked up her pace and quickly caught up to Ruby. As soon as she got close enough, Yang grabbed the smaller girl and pulled her into a strong bearhug, not wanting the girl to go running again. Ruby tried her best to struggle, but was unable to break free at all.

Weiss and Blake soon caught up to their teammates. They were about to speak, when Ruby suddenly started pleading with them.

''Don't hurt me! Please! I'll do anything! Just please don't hurt me!'' the redhead cried out fearfully. The girl was so scared that tears were falling from her eyes.

''Ruby, what are you talking about? We would never hurt you. We are your-'' Blake began to say in a calming tone, horrified by the thought of them ever harming the younger girl, when she noticed something that made her heart stop. There was a large, black bruise on Ruby's right cheek, obviously caused by someone's fist. ''Ruby, who did this to you!? Who is the dead person who dared give you such a horrible bruise!?''

Upon hearing their faunus teammate's words, Weiss and Yang took a look at their beloved rose's face and saw the damage on her face. Rage started to immediately boil inside the two girls over the fact that someone had dared hurt the girl they loved.

''Y-You don't remember?'' Ruby asked with her voice trembling from fear. ''You did that to me, Blake. For not getting you that book you wanted.''

Weiss and Yang turned to glare at the raven-haired girl with pure fury in their eyes. Blake, on the other hand, was completely lost and confused by what her leader had just said. Not only did she not have any memory of doing something like that, she would rather die than ever hurt Ruby.

''R-Ruby, you have to be mistaken!'' the cat faunus pleaded. ''I could never hurt you! Never!''

''Oh yeah!? Well, the proof tells a different story, fleabag!'' Yang said angrily as she hugged Ruby against herself a bit more in an attempt to shield the younger girl from her partner. However, this caused Ruby to let out a pained yelp, like the blonde was touching a sore spot on her body. ''Ruby, did Blake hurt you somewhere else, as well!?''

''N-No... That one's from you, Yang. From when you punched me in the stomach,'' the redhead answered in a pained voice, causing Yang to turn pale and Weiss to turn red from anger.

''W-WHAT!?'' the brawler cried out. ''But I would never-! I mean-! I could never-!''

''Obviously you could, considering what she said!'' Weiss yelled at her blonde teammate. ''It seems like I'm the only one who isn't actively harming Ruby!''

''A-Actually, you have, Weiss,'' Ruby said, stopping the heiress' ranting. The younger girl then started to take off gloves from her hands that the WBY now noticed. Once the gloves were off, the three older girls saw that Ruby's hands were badly bruised, as well. ''You stepped on my hands after tripping me in hallway.''

The WBY could only stand still in shock. None of them could believe what they had just heard. Apparently, each of them had abused their beloved leader, like she was some sort of an animal. But to make things more confusing, none of them remembered ever doing anything like that.

''What is going on here? It's obvious that none of us remember any of this, so how did any of this happen?'' Weiss wondered. ''None of this makes any sense.''

''That's not all, Weiss. There are some other odd things going on here,'' Blake said. ''Remember how slow she was? It's like she's a different Ruby or something.''

''Whatever is going on, she is not joking about getting abused,'' Yang stated. ''Those bruises are real. And look how scared she is. She's obviously terrified of us.''

The monochrome duo looked at Ruby and saw that she was trembling in Yang's arms. The poor girl was scared of what the three older girls might do to her, even if they had no intention of harming her.

''Let's take her to our dorm. She can relax there and we can try to figure out what's going on,'' Weiss suggested.

''Good idea. Blake, grab her legs and help me carry her, okay?'' Yang asked and her partner nodded. The two were soon carrying their scared leader to their dorm with Weiss leading them.

However, it didn't take long for the four girls to run into trouble, as their path was soon blocked by none other than team JNPR. Normally the WBY wouldn't be worried over their four friends, but something was wrong with them now. The four members of JNPR were smirking like villains, which put the older girls of RWBY in an alarmed state. Especially when Ruby became more scared upon meeting the other team.

''Well, well, well, look at what we have here,'' Jaune said. ''It seems our friends from team RWBY just brought us our favorite punching bag.''

Upon hearing Ruby being call a punching bag, the WBY tensed up. They were hoping that the blonde boy didn't mean what they thought he meant.

''Jaune, just what the hell are you talking about?'' Weiss asked while trying to keep herself in check.

''Oh, come on, Weiss. You know what we're talking about,'' Pyrrha said. ''You know how we all like to take turns in beating that little creep over there. Like that one time you and I tripped her and used her as our doormat.''

The WBY tensed up.

''Hey, Yang. Since I held her still last time while you punched her, can you do that this time?'' Nora asked with a sadistic grin. ''I kind of want to work on my jabs.''

The three older girls of team RWBY started to shake with anger.

''Blake, would you like to have another round of throwing rocks at her?'' Ren asked with a smirk. ''I'm willing to bet that I can make her left cheek match her right cheek.''

The WBY finally snapped. They were going to make these fools pay for what they had just said.

''Yang, you stay here and hold onto Ruby,'' Blake said as she gently let go of the younger girl's legs. ''I know that you want to give them a good beating like we do, but I want you to make sure that she doesn't run away.''

''Alright. Just give them a good one for my sake, as well, okay?'' Yang said as she stepped back a bit and held onto Ruby as tightly as she could without hurting her.

Truth be told, the WBY would normally never take on team JNPR like this. Not only was Ruby out of the fight, but Yang was also not participating, being stuck looking after the younger girl. With half of their team unavailable, Weiss and Blake had the odds against them while facing a full team of four people. But since they had been so enraged by what they heard the members of team JNPR say, all rational thinking had gone out of the window. All that mattered to them was that the fools who dared harm their beloved leader would be properly punished.

However, despite the odds being against them, Weiss and Blake easily defeated their opponents. It didn't take long until the whole team JNPR was on the floor, having been beaten to a pulp. If the WBY hadn't been too busy being angry at their defeated opponents, they would have realized how strange this was. Despite their shortcomings, the members of JNPR were pretty skilled altogether. For them to lose like this to only Weiss and Blake should have been impossible.

But right now, the WBY didn't care how things didn't match up. All that mattered was that justice had been served for the sake of Ruby.

Weiss angrily stomped over to Jaune, who tried his best to crawl away in fear. Unfortunately for him, the heiress quickly caught him and lifted him up by his hair, so that they were now face to face with each other.

''Now listen here, Arc. I might not have the highest opinion about you, but I would at least expect that you wouldn't harm Ruby of all people,'' Weiss said while glaring at the scared blonde boy. ''Now I want you to get this through your thick skull. If you ever even touch Ruby, I will personally skin you alive and bury you in salt. Understood?''

All Jaune could do was give a small nod, being too terrified to do anything else. This seemed to satisfy the white-haired girl, who dropped him to the floor before going back to her teammates.

''Now that we are done here, we should-'' Weiss began to say, but was suddenly interrupted by a new arrival.

''My, if it isn't team RWBY's beautiful ladies!'' a familiar boy's voice called out, causing the members of RWBY to turn to look where it came from. To the shock of the older girls in the team, it was Cardin and his team, walking towards them with happy smiles on their faces. ''Good to see you on such a great day! How are you ladies doing!?''

''We're... doing fine... thank you...'' Blake managed to respond through the shock of seeing the infamous bullies acting so nice.

''That is great to hear! I hope that-!'' Cardin continued to speak, only to stop upon noticing the bruise on Ruby's cheek. ''Ms. Rose, are you alright!? Don't tell me that your teammates have harmed you again!?''

''NO! We would never do such a thing to Ruby! Honest!'' Yang quickly yelled, hoping that it would convince the armored boy. While it was true that they hadn't caused the redhead's injuries, there was still the fact that Ruby said they did.

''Good to hear! Me and my comrades have been hoping that you would quit your bullying ways, so that you could all be a happy team like ourselves!'' Cardin declared with joy, before turning to look at his teammates. ''Isn't that right, friends!?''

''That sure is, Cardin!'' the three other members of team CRDL said happily in unison.

''I knew you would agree with me, my dear comrades!'' the armor-clad boy said with joy before walking up to Ruby. Normally the WBY wouldn't let Cardin anywhere near their beloved rose, but this time they were just too frozen in shock by seeing Beacon's worst bully acting like the nicest guy in the world. They could only watch as the brown-haired boy took out a lollipop and gave it to their leader. ''A little treat to the young rose of Beacon! Hope you'll like it!''

''T-Thanks, Cardin. You are always so nice to me,'' Ruby said with a small smile.

''No problem, Ruby! Being nice is something that I just love to do!'' Cardin said cheerfully.

''Cardin, we have a problem here!'' Russell suddenly called out.

''What is it!?'' the leader of team CRDL asked, alarmed by what his teammate just said.

''It's team JNPR! They have been hurt badly and are in need of medical attention!'' Dove said while he, Russell and Sky were looking over the four people Weiss and Blake had just beaten up.

''My God! Such a horrible thing for them to go through! They might be the worst bullies in Beacon, but they do not deserve such a fate!'' Cardin yelled before turning his attention to team RWBY again. ''Leave this to us, team RWBY! We will make sure these poor students get to the infirmary as soon as possible to get the help they need!''

The WBY could only nod dumbly before running away from the scene towards their dorm. Yang had thrown Ruby over her shoulder so that they could get away from team CRDL faster. The three older girls of team RWBY were completely confused by what was happening around them. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. First they find out that their beloved leader is afraid of them and claims they have been abusing her, then team JNPR tries to beat up Ruby and now they see team CRDL of all people acting nice. Only one thing was going through the WBY's minds at that moment.

 _'WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?'_

* * *

 **Author's notes: I'm back doing this story again, people! I know it's been a while, but I do honestly intend to finish this story. It's just that I've been distracted by other stuff, like my other stories and such. However, I'm back doing this and I hope you liked what I've brought you. This will take at least two parts, if not three, and I'll try my best to get them done as soon as possible. Hope you all will like it!**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	35. Switching Places (Part 2)

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 35: Switching Places (Part 2)**

After their disturbing meeting with team CRDL, the WBY had made their way to their dorm. Upon reaching the door, Weiss was trying her hardest to pull her Scroll out of her pocket in order to open it, but was having difficulties in doing so. Her hands were trembling so badly that she wasn't able to grasp the device properly.

''Weiss, what are you waiting for!? Open the freaking door already!'' Yang yelled while still carrying Ruby over her shoulder. ''Do you want to meet up with those freaks again!?''

''Of course not!'' Weiss yelled back. ''I'm sure I'm going to have nightmares about team CRDL tonight, so I don't want to make my situation any worse! I'm just so freaked out by everything that I can barely hold my Scroll!''

While the two girls were arguing, Blake noticed something different about the door.

''Ummm... Guys? Why doesn't the door have the lock for a Scroll next to it?'' the cat faunus asked and pointed at where the panel usually was. Her two teammates stopped their bickering and saw that the faunus was indeed right.

''What the-!? How are we supposed to get in!?'' Weiss asked in a panicked voice.

''Well, I can let you guys in, if you put me down,'' Ruby said. Yang then proceeded to gently let the younger girl go, who then pulled out a key from her pocket and opened the door.

Now that the four girls got inside the dorm, the WBY were surprised to find out that there were no bunk beds in the room. And not only that, but that there were only three beds.

''Ruby, which one is your bed?'' Blake asked, confused by what she was seeing.

''It's over there,'' the redhead answered in a sad tone and pointed at a corner. The WBY saw that there was a small pillow and a blanket there, and both were covered in holes and dirty.

''What the-!? How can anyone actually sleep there!?'' Yang yelled in anger with her eyes turning red for a second.

''You get used to it in time,'' Ruby answered. ''I had to when I wasn't allowed to have a bed.''

''Who could be so cruel as to not let you have an actual bed?'' Blake asked, already thinking of how she would make such horrible people suffer.

''That would be my teammates. You guys,'' the younger girl said, causing the WBY to freeze in shock. ''You told me that you needed more room for your stuff, so-''

Ruby was suddenly stopped by Yang pulling her into a strong hug. The blonde didn't want to hear anymore of the younger girl's painful life.

''Please stop,'' Yang whispered as she took Ruby and sat on one of the beds with the smaller girl on her lap. ''I can't take more of this.''

While Yang was busy trying to comfort Ruby, Blake walked up to her partner to assist her. Meanwhile, Weiss was pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what was going on.

''Okay, let's see. Ruby says that we have... done some things that we ourselves can't remember, but she has proof that we have done them. Not only that, but JNPR is acting like complete jerks, while the biggest jerks, team CRDL, are acting nice. How could this have-?'' the heiress mumbled to herself, until she suddenly stopped. Her eyes went wide as realization hit her.

''Did you figure out what's going on?'' Blake asked, hoping that her teammate had found some answers.

''Possibly. I just need to ask some things from Ruby to make sure,'' Weiss replied before walking up to the redhead and kneeling in front of her. ''Can you answer a couple of things, Ruby?''

''Ummm... Sure. I'll try my best,'' the younger girl answered.

''What are team JNPR and team CRDL like? What do you know about them?'' the white-haired girl asked.

''Well, team JNPR consists of the school's worst bullies. Each of them is always tormenting someone through cruel pranks or just by simply using violence. From what I heard, their leader, Jaune, was a very famous, young athlete back where he came from. It apparently caused him to grow a big ego, which led to him becoming a bully. Nora and Ren come from rich families, which has allowed them to do whatever they want. And while Pyrrha is the worst student in the whole school, she manages to keep up by sticking around Jaune, who is her boyfriend,'' Ruby explained. ''On the other hand, team CRDL is their complete opposite. They are some of the nicest people you could possibly ever meet. They are more than willing to assist others in their schoolwork, and they help out at different charity events.''

''...Just thinking about team CRDL acting all nice is enough to make me want to throw up,'' Blake said to which both Weiss and Yang agreed to.

''Why is them acting nice a bad thing?'' the redhead asked.

''Don't mind that. Just focus on my questions, okay?'' Weiss quickly said, hoping to change the subject. ''This is Beacon Academy, right? What do you study here?''

''We study to become Huntsmen and Huntresses, of course,'' Ruby answered. ''We do that so we can help the world.''

''So you fight Grimm?''

''Sometimes. They are very rare, so we often deal with other dangerous animals.''

The younger girl's answer surprised the three older girls. Grimm were supposed to be a common threat that caused havoc on a daily basis. There were always stories in the news that told of the damage those monsters caused. To hear that they were supposed to be rare was not expected at all.

''Now, hang on a second!'' Yang quickly said. ''How are Grimm supposed to be ''rare''? While I know that there are certain types of Grimm that you don't see often, you almost hear on a daily basis about attacks by Beowolves or Ursa!''

''What are Beowolves and Ursa? And what do you mean by certain types of Grimm?'' Ruby asked in a confused tone.

''Beowolves are large wolf-like Grimm and Ursa are large bear-like Grimm,'' Blake explained. ''They are the most common types of Grimm you can see.''

''I've never even heard of such things. Those sound like something from a fantasy book or a TV series. Grimm are nothing more than wild animals that have been contaminated by toxic waste and have turned into aggressive, rampaging beasts,'' the redhead explained.

''So... since you don't fight any massive monsters, does that mean that you don't need a large scythe that turns into a sniper rifle?'' Yang asked.

''...That sounds like something you would only see in an anime,'' Ruby said. ''I only use a regular rifle at best.''

''I guess this means that you don't have any Aura, Semblances or even Dust, which explains why we were able to beat JNPR so easily. And you also don't have the same technology we do, since there was no panel for a Scroll next to the door,'' Weiss mumbled. She started to think about everything they had heard and seen so far and finally came to a conclusion about their situation. ''I think I know what's going on.''

''Really? What is it?'' Blake asked.

''We have been teleported into an alternate reality.''

* * *

Meanwhile, Winter was walking around Beacon, completely unaware that it wasn't the school she was familiar with. The building itself was completely similar to the one in her own reality, so the white-haired woman couldn't know about where she really was at the moment. Not to mention, she hadn't encountered the alternate versions of people she knew from her own world, which could have alarmed her to what had happened.

However, she would soon find out the truth. And it would come in the form of someone she knew very well, Qrow Branwen.

Winter eventually made her way to Beacon's cafeteria, hoping that she could get something quick to eat. But as soon as she stepped in there, she noticed a certain dusty old crow sitting at one of the tables. The soldier almost ignored the man, but quickly turned her attention back to him, once she realized there was something very wrong with him. First, the man seemed very clean. His beard had been shaved off and his hair was neatly swept back. The dark-haired man was also sitting straight, like a proper gentleman, and not slouching on his seat. He was also wearing a very expensive looking suit, instead of the clothes he would usually wear. He also had a stern look on his face, instead of the more relaxed expression he often had.

But the most noticeable difference that made Winter go wide-eyed was the fact that Qrow wasn't drinking alcohol. Instead, he was drinking tea.

While the white-haired woman most of the time wouldn't want to be near the scythe-wielding man, seeing him like this was something that she just had to inspect. She needed to find out why he had suddenly changed like this.

''Hello, Qrow,'' Winter greeted the man, still in somewhat of a shock over seeing him drinking tea.

''Hello, Winter,'' Qrow replied. ''Is there something you need?''

''Well, I would like to know what brought the sudden change to you,'' the soldier replied.

The dark-haired man's eyebrow rose up a bit in confusion. ''Care to be a bit more specific? The way I see it, I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary at all.''

''Excuse my language, but that's bullshit,'' Winter said, all of her proper acting having been thrown out the window. The shock of seeing Qrow like this was too much for her. ''Not only do you look and act way different than you normally do, you are drinking tea of all things! What happened to your flask full of alcohol that you're always drinking from!?''

''I must say that I have no idea what you're talking about, but I would like it if you didn't say such things about me. Alcohol is one of the most horrid things mankind has ever created, and I would rather perish than let such filth into my mouth,'' Qrow answered before finishing his cup of tea and standing up. ''Now, I believe that we both should get back to work. Even though I know that you like to skip it, I would like to ask you for once to act responsibly and perform the duties that you are responsible for.''

''Excuse me!?'' Winter asked angrily. No one, especially Qrow, should ever even suggest that she wasn't taking care of her duties.

''By the way, what's with the outfit? I know that you like comic books, but don't you think that's a bit too much for a janitor to wear?''

''JANITOR!? I'm an officer in the Atlesian military!''

There was a moment of silence as Winter and Qrow stared at each other. The soldier's face was red with anger, having been insulted by the accusations that not only she would skip her duties, but that she was also a janitor of all things. The dark-haired man simply stared back at her calmly with a raised eyebrow.

''An officer in the Atlesian military? Is that some kind of a joke? You know as well as I do that Atlas has barely enough money to have an army at all. It's mostly just for show,'' Qrow said before he turned around and started to walk away. ''And one more thing, would you mind and stop picking on that Ruby Rose girl? I know you and Weiss like to make her life miserable, but I think it's a bit too much. Not that it really matters to me.''

Winter could only stand still in shock and watch as the dark-haired man left. Only three words came out of her mouth.

''What... the... hell?''

* * *

Back with the WBY and Ruby, the three older girls had just learned an interesting fact about the world they were currently in. It was so amusing that the three girls were laughing, especially Weiss.

''Y-You're telling me that Winter Beacon's janitor!?'' the heiress managed to say while laughing. ''That has got to be the best thing I have ever heard in my life!''

''I'm... glad that you liked to hear that,'' Ruby said. She had just learned that the three older girls weren't her actual teammates, but people from an alternate universe, which explained a lot to her. The redhead was still very overwhelmed by all that had just happened. ''Is there anything else you want to know about her?''

''Well, how is my relationship with her?'' Weiss asked. ''I'm of course talking about this world's version of me. Are they perhaps arguing all the time or something?''

''Actually, this world's Weiss and Winter are essentially best friends,'' the redhead answered. ''They're almost always hanging out together and really seem to enjoy each other's company.''

''...So only in an alternate world where I'm a total jerk do I have a good relationship with my sister,'' the white-haired girl said with a depressed sigh.

''Enough with the Schnees! Tell me about Glynda!'' Yang asked excitedly. ''I bet she's some sort of a freak here!''

''I don't know about her being a freak, but she is easily the worst teacher here,'' Ruby answered. ''She's often late to work and almost never does her work on time. I've even heard that she's a bit of a drunk.''

''Good. That's good stuff,'' the blonde said while snickering. ''Anything else you can tell me about her?''

''Well, she makes practically no effort to hide her obsession of S&M,'' the younger girl replied. ''There have been multiple times that she's been seen in one of her outfits or with a whip.''

Yang was now practically roaring with laughter, ''This great! I never thought I could find such comedy in this world!''

''She's also this the girlfriend of this world's Yang...''

Upon hearing that last part, the brawler immediately stopped laughing. Her eyes went wide and her face turned pale from sheer horror.

''WHAT!?''

* * *

While the WBY were busy with their newest piece of information on the world they had entered, Glynda was making her way to her office. Much like Winter just a moment ago, she had not seen anything that was out of the ordinary for herself yet.

''I'll say, I must be the only hardworking teacher in this whole school. Ozpin has me running around like his personal servant,'' the blonde woman muttered to herself angrily. She then thought about her co-workers, namely Port and Oobleck. ''Then again, when I think about some of the other teachers here, I can understand why he only trusts me. The others are mostly useless.''

Glynda finally made it to her office and opened the door. She turned on the lights and immediately went wide-eyed over what she saw. The office was a complete mess. Papers were thrown all around, there were books piled up on the floor and all sorts of trash was thrown around just everywhere you could look.

''What the hell happened here!?'' the teacher yelled angrily. ''This place was completely clean the last time I was here, why is it so messy now!? Did someone throw a party here or something!?''

Before Glynda could think of how to clean up her office in the most effective way possible, she saw something that made her face turn red. There was a closet full of whips, riding crops and more ''risque'' outfits. There were also all kinds of ''questionable'' magazines there.

''W-W-WHAT THE HELL!?'' the blonde witch screamed with a completely red face that could put Ruby's cloak to shame. ''Why is all of THIS here!? I mean, I do have some slight interest and all, but who doesn't!? I've certainly never bought any of this!''

Despite the embarrassment the closet's items caused her, Glynda still walked up to it in order to inspect the items a bit closer. She even picked up one of the whips and looked at it.

''Oh, this is actually very nice,'' the teacher said to herself before walking up to her desk. There she saw something that made her eyes go as wide as possible and her face turn pale. On the desk were photos of her with Yang doing all sorts of things she wished to be doing with Ruby. Hugging each other, kissing and so on. There were even pictures of the blonde girl with a less clothing on.

Glynda's horrified scream could be heard all throughout Vale.

* * *

''I'm guessing Professor Goodwitch just found out who her girlfriend is in this world,'' Blake said while snickering, having heard the blonde teacher's scream. She then turned her attention to Ruby. ''But enough about people that aren't us. Can you tell me what I'm like?''

''You mean... my world's version of you?'' Ruby asked.

''Yes. Am I a... bad person?'' the cat faunus asked nervously.

''Gee, Blake, wasn't the fact that you abuse Ruby bad enough or something?'' Yang asked sarcastically.

''That's not what I mean, Yang! I'm just wondering if I'm even worse somehow! Hurting Ruby is bad enough, but this world's version of me might still be part of the White Fang or something!'' Blake said angrily to her partner.

''Oh, I wish you were part of the White Fang, Blake,'' Ruby said, surprising the other girls.

''What do you mean by that?'' the raven-haired girl asked with wide eyes.

''If you were part of that group, you might be less aggressive and angry. After all, the White Fang is a peaceful organization that wants to spread love and friendship everywhere,'' the redhead explained. ''Their leader, Adam Taurus, is especially nice. Despite being a faunus, who control most of the world, he feels no superiority over humans and wants both of our kinds to live in harmony.''

''...On one hand, I'm happy to hear that the faunus are in a better position than in my world, but the thought of a peace-loving Adam disturbs me somehow,'' Blake mumbled.

''It's a shame you broke up with him and quit their group. Especially since you've been a rather bad influence on your best friend, Cinder Fall,'' Ruby stated.

''...I think I'm going to throw up.''

* * *

Meanwhile, Cinder was walking towards the dorm she was sharing with Emerald and Mercury. Much like her comrades from the WGC before, she was also unaware of where she currently was. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that strange scream she had just heard, but she paid no mind to it. If Ruby wasn't involved with it, it didn't matter.

However, she was about to learn the truth through none other than Mercury. While walking down the hallways of Beacon, Cinder encountered the silver-haired boy.

''Salutations, my dear friend, Cinder!'' Mercury called out to the raven-haired woman with the biggest, brightest smile she had ever seen, which freaked her out. ''How has your glorious day been?''

''Mercury?'' Cinder called out, unsure if what she was seeing was real. ''Are you... alright?''

''Well, why wouldn't I be?'' the silver-haired boy asked with the same big smile still on his face. ''I've just had the greatest day I could possibly hope for! Today I got to help three old ladies get across the street, saved a kitten from a tree and even got to help at the local orphanage! What more could I ask?''

''Those... don't seem like activities you would usually be into,'' the villainess said. ''Usually you would be into things that are more... violent.''

''Good heavens! Where could you have gotten this idea of me!?'' Mercury said in a horrified voice. ''Is it because I didn't brush my teeth last night!? I swear that I only forgot about it!''

''How is that even related to-? Never mind. Do you know where Emerald is? I think I need to talk to her. Maybe she can explain a couple of things to me.''

''Certainly! I am always happy to help! It's also a good idea to ask Emerald to help with your studies! She is such a smart girl that-''

''Mercury, just be quiet and take me to her, got it?''

The silver-haired boy did as Cinder had requested and led her to their dorm. The raven-haired woman was hoping that Emerald would still be normal and provide her with some sort of a grasp to sanity. Unfortunately, her hopes were crushed as soon as she entered the room and saw her green-haired servant. Instead of her usual clothes, Emerald was wearing a pink frilly dress and was sitting at a small table, drinking tea like a proper lady. As soon as she saw Cinder, her face broke into a big smile.

''Cinder, what a pleasure to see you again!'' the red-eyed girl greeted the villainess cheerfully. ''How has your day been?''

''...Getting more and more disturbing by the second,'' Cinder managed to say while staring at her supposed servant with wide eyes.

''Oh dear! That sounds horrible!'' Emerald exclaimed. ''If you wish for either me or Mercury to help you, you should know that you only need to ask. I'm also sure that little Neo will also gladly help.''

''Little... Neo?'' the raven-haired woman asked.

''Oh, yes! She was left here by her uncle Roman, who had to go do some charity work at Atlas. We are currently taking care of her,'' the green-haired girl explained in an excited voice and turned towards a girl that was sitting at the other end of the room. Much to Cinder's shock, it was Neopolitan, Roman Torchwick's assistant. The three-colored girl was playing with a small pile of stuffed toys while chatting with them non-stop, a complete opposite to the mute psychopath the villainess was familiar with. ''That little angel is just such a joy to have around. She likes to talk a lot, as well. I'm sure she would love to talk with you about whatever is troubling you.''

''...WHAT THE ABSOLUTE HELL!?'' Cinder screamed at the top of her lungs, shocking every other person in the room.

''Cinder! Such language surely doesn't fit a lady like yourself!'' Mercury said in a slightly scolding tone.

* * *

Back with the WBY, the three girls were taking care of Ruby. They had treated the redhead's injuries and put her in a bed to rest. Much to their horror, Ruby's whole body had been covered in bruises, with some of them being quite old. This meant that her abuse had been going on for quite some time. It brought sadness and anger to the WBY that someone could be so cruel as to hurt such an innocent and kind girl as their beloved leader.

''To think that someone could even think of doing this...'' Weiss mumbled angrily while gritting her teeth. ''Just what kind of monsters are we in this world!?''

''Yeah. And if I see any single one of them, I'll give them a lesson that they will never forget,'' Yang stated while fuming. ''We'll see if they'll be able to hurt Rubes once all of their limbs are broken.''

Blake was also angry their alternate selves from this world, but wasn't voicing her thoughts at the moment. Instead, she was busy looking at Ruby's sleeping face. The once terrified girl was finally peaceful and the cat faunus could only hope that her life would take a turn for the better. The redhead certainly deserved it.

''Should we... Should we stay here?'' Blake suddenly asked, getting the attention of her teammates. ''In this world, Ruby is all alone while facing all these horrible people that are hurting her. If we stay here, we could keep her safe.''

''Hey, that's not a bad idea!'' Yang said happily. ''I mean, this world doesn't have Aura, right? Imagine all that we could do here! We could become super heroes or something here!''

''While I do like the idea of keeping Ruby safe, I'm afraid that I have to say no to that idea,'' Weiss answered. ''Remember that we still have our own world with responsibilities there. We have people there that need us and are probably wondering where we are. Not to mention, our Ruby is still there and now she is all alone.''

Both Blake and Yang froze upon Weiss mentioning their Ruby. Despite the fact that none of them wanted to leave this world's Ruby at the mercy of abusive teammates and bullies, the heiress was completely right. They didn't belong to this world. They were all needed in a different world, where the girl they all loved was at. If they didn't return, who knew what might happen to their Ruby? There was no choice in this matter. They had to get back.

''You're right, Weiss,'' Blake said as she began to gently stroke Ruby's hair. ''Our Ruby is probably waiting for us, wondering where we have all disappeared to. We can't just leave her alone.''

''I'm glad you see it my way,'' the heiress said with a small smile. ''However, there's something that puzzles me. Where are this world's versions of us? We haven't seen them at all ever since we came to this world. We've even been in their dorm for quite some time now and have not seen them at all.''

''Where ever they are, they better stay there!'' Yang suddenly said with her eyes turning red. ''If I ever see those jerks, I'll make them pay for everything they did to Rubes! Let's see them hurt her after having all of their limbs broken!''

While Blake and Weiss agreed with their blonde teammate, little did they know that their counterparts from this alternate world had taken a little trip somewhere that was very familiar.

* * *

''See? I told you guys that I could lead us to Beacon Academy!'' a certain white-haired girl said to her five companions. ''And you guys were all like, ''You don't know where we are, do you!?'' Hah! I showed you!''

''You go, sis!'' a white-haired woman cheered.

''Yes, we get it, Weiss. You managed to lead us to where we needed to go,'' a blonde girl said in a slightly frustrated tone. ''No need to rub it in, okay?''

''Awww. Don't be like that, honey,'' a blonde woman said as she hugged the blonde girl from behind. ''I have some ideas on how to take care of your frustrations. I'm sure we'll both enjoy them.''

''Can you two save that until you get to a more private room, please?'' a raven-haired faunus girl asked. ''I'm still trying to forget what I saw you two do in the ladies' room yesterday.''

''Heavens, Blake! There is no need to remind any of us about that!'' a raven-haired woman said in a horrified tone.

Back in the world of the WBY and WGC, their alternate world counterparts were just arriving to Beacon. And a certain redheaded team leader would be there.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Here's the second part to this story arc and next one will be last. Sorry that this took so long. I've been a bit busy and haven't been able to work on this properly. Not to mention, I've been dealing with the worst possible hot weather here where I'm from. It's kind of hard to work on writing stories when you're sweating like a pig from just sitting, you know?**

 **I was originally planning to show more of the ''alternate world's occupants,'' but I decided against it. They wouldn't have served any good purpose and would have only been quick jokes. For example, I originally thought about having Glynda meet the alternate Port and Oobleck. Port would have been a young, grim man with the body of an 80's action hero, who doesn't like to talk about his past. Oobleck would have been a slow-talking pothead, who finds stupid things hilarious, like his own name.**

 **Anyways, hope you liked the chapter and that you'll check out the next one when it comes out.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	36. Switching Places (Part 3)

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 36: Switching Places (Part 3)**

Winter Schnee was running through the halls of Beacon with a pale face, like she had just seen a ghost. She was heading towards team RWBY's dorm, hoping to find Yang Xiao Long there. The white-haired woman needed to know why Qrow Branwen had suddenly changed so dramatically and the best source for answers should be the man's niece.

On her way to the dorm, Winter encountered Cinder Fall, who seemed to be just as freaked out, if not more than she herself was. The raven-haired woman's eyes were wide, her face was pale and she kept muttering ''it can't be real'' to herself over and over again. Seeing her comrade like this concerned Winter greatly, as she knew Cinder to be a fearless person. There should only be a few things in the entire existence that could spook her like this.

''Cinder, what has gotten you so scared?'' the white-haired woman asked. ''You look like you've seen the devil himself or something.''

''I would actually prefer that over what I've seen,'' the villainess answered. ''What I've just seen shook me to the very core of my soul. The world doesn't make any sense to me anymore.''

Before Winter could ask what Cinder was talking about, the two women had to stop upon sensing something. Neither of the women knew what it was at first, only that it scared them. However, both soon realized that it was rage. Pure and unadulterated rage. Someone was VERY angry and they could feel it.

Winter and Cinder didn't need to wait for long, until they found out what the source for this terrifying phenomenon was. They could sense the rage coming closer to them, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. While the two women wanted to simply turn around and run away, they couldn't. Both were so frozen with fear that all they could do was stand and wait until whatever it was came to them. Much to their confusion, they soon saw Glynda stomping towards them. The blonde teacher had a look of absolute fury on her face as she walked towards her two comrades.

Once Glynda walked past the other two members of the WGC, the two women let out sighs of relief. Even though they knew the witch wasn't always in the best of moods, they had never even imagined that she could get this angry. Winter and Cinder were thankful that they had not been the ones to get their comrade so upset.

''Hi, Glynda,'' Winter carefully called out to her comrade, hoping that she didn't accidentally turn the teacher's anger towards herself. ''What has gotten you in such a bad mood?''

Glynda didn't respond with words. She simply pulled a picture out of her pocket and handed it to the other two members of the WGC. The two women looked at it and were surprised to see the blonde witch in the picture with her arms around none other than Yang Xiao Long. And judging by the expressions on their faces, both ladies were having a good time.

''Wow, Glynda, good for you. I guess now that you have her as your girlfriend, you can let one of us-'' Cinder said in a joking manner, only to get smashed to the ceiling by the angry teacher's Semblance. The villainess then fell to the floor with a loud crash and groaned in pain.

''So I take it that you're also heading towards team RWBY's dorm to get some answers, correct?'' Winter asked while sweating nervously over what just happened. Again, Glynda didn't answer with words and just nodded, too angry to speak. ''Good. We were heading there ourselves, as we have also encountered some strange things here. Let's go together, shall we?''

The blonde teacher let out a low growl and started to continue on her way with the white-haired woman soon following after her. Both women also completely forgot about their group's third member, who was left laying on the floor.

''Hey... Is no one going to help me?'' the villainess asked in a pained voice.

* * *

Eventually, the whole WGC was heading towards team RWBY's dorm together. Each of the three women were hoping to find answers to their current situation and the strange things they had encountered. It didn't take long until they reached their destination and they were knocking on the door. Soon the door opened to reveal Weiss on the other side.

''Hello, sister,'' Winter greeted the younger Schnee. ''My friends and I have some questions and we believe that your team could answer them.''

''Could it wait a bit?'' Weiss asked in a slightly irritated voice. ''We are kind of in the middle of something important here and-''

''NO! THIS ABSOLUTELY CAN'T WAIT!'' Glynda suddenly roared angrily as forced her way to the dorm and pulled out the picture of herself and Yang. ''I NEED TO KNOW RIGHT NOW WHY THIS WAS IN MY OFFICE AND-!''

The teacher's angry rant was quickly stopped by Blake, who hit her over the head and shushed her.

''Be quiet! Can't you see that you're scaring Ruby!?'' the cat faunus scolded Glynda and pointed at said redheaded girl. True to her words, the young team leader was looking at the three newcomers with wide and terrified eyes, as she clung onto Yang like her life depended on it.

''Ms. Rose?'' Glynda called out to Ruby, shocked by the girl's reaction to seeing her. ''I'm sorry if I was a bit loud, but there's no need to be afraid. After all, it's me, Glynda. You don't need to fear me.''

The blonde teacher walked up to her scared student and reached towards her, hoping that she could do something to calm her down. However, this only served to further scare the girl, who buried her face against Yang and clung harder to her.

''Shhh. Ruby, it's okay. She won't harm you. Shhh,'' the blonde girl whispered to the younger girl in an attempt to calm her before glaring at Glynda. ''Back off, Goodwitch! Can't you see that she's scared of you!?''

''I... I just don't understand,'' the blonde witch said in a shocked voice. ''Why is she so scared of me? I haven't done anything bad to her.''

''You haven't. It's just that someone who resembles you a lot has,'' Weiss answered.

''What do you mean by that?'' Winter asked.

''I think that your little experiment might have gone wrong, sister.''

* * *

While the WBY were explaining their current situation to their rivals, the WBY and WGC from the other world had just made their way into Beacon. The six ladies were chatting with each other, completely unaware that they were in a different world. As they were walking around, they heard a familiar voice calling for them.

''Hey, guys!'' Ruby called out, causing the six ladies to turn to look at her. The redhead was running towards them while waving, not knowing that they weren't the people she knew. ''I've been waiting for you guys! When did you get back!?''

''Great. It's the brat,'' Yang grumbled angrily. ''Why is she coming towards us? Haven't we taught her not to annoy us?''

''Well, sweetie, maybe you need to teach her a bit more thoroughly,'' Glynda said. ''Some people just don't learn until you beat the lesson to every inch of their bodies.''

''Come on, do you have to?'' Cinder asked, not being a real fan of violence. ''I know you don't like her at all, but can't you do it any other way?''

''Cinder, sometimes you just have to do things that you don't like in order to get the results you want,'' Blake said while already cracking her knuckles. ''Although, we do enjoy doing this.''

''Yeah. Let's teach that sorry brat not to get on our nerves ever again!'' Weiss stated with an evil grin.

''You go, sis!'' Winter cheered.

Ruby made her way to the six ladies. not knowing the danger she was in. For all she knew, these were her teammates and friends, who had just returned from their trip to an Atlesian military research station.

''So, what were you guys doing?'' the redhead asked with an excited smile on her face. ''Did you get to try out new weapons or-''

''Whatever we do on our free time is none of your business,'' Weiss suddenly said in an angry tone, interrupting the younger girl. ''You should stop sticking your nose into what doesn't concern you.''

''Oh... I'm sorry,'' Ruby said in a sad tone, slightly shocked by how angry her partner was at her. ''I didn't mean to be a pain, I just wanted to-''

''You didn't want to be a pain? Guess what? You are a pain!'' Blake yelled. ''You're an immature brat who should just keep her mouth shut!''

''I-I didn't know I was that bad, but-''

''Well, you are!'' Glynda added. ''I honestly don't know why anyone even tolerates you here! Why you ever got accepted is an eternal mystery to me!''

''Okay, I get it. You're upset with me. No need to go overboard with it. I'll just-''

''And we have decided to put you in your place once and for all! We are going to teach you something that you'll never forget!'' Yang shouted as she raised her fist. ''Here's lesson number one!''

The blonde threw a punch with all of her might and it hit Ruby's right cheek. Normally this would lead to the redhead getting hurt very badly. However, these weren't normal circumstances anymore. After all, while this Yang might have been stronger than your average person, she didn't have any Aura. On the other hand, this Ruby had Aura, which defended her against the blow. And a normal person punching a Huntsman or a Huntress with Aura was like hitting a boulder with your bare fist. In other words, not a good idea.

''OUCH!'' Yang screamed in pain as she held her hand. ''Son of a-! What the hell!?''

''Honey, what's wrong!?'' Glynda asked, worried over her girlfriend.

''Yang, what happened!?'' Weiss asked in shock. She had seen her teammate punch the redhead countless of times and this had never happened.

''I don't get it! I just punched her like I usually do and now I feel like my hand has been shattered!'' Yang explained while holding her damaged body part. ''It was like I was punching a statue made out of stone or something!''

Before any of the six ladies could say or do anything more, they were stopped as they all felt something. A feeling of pure dread and terror spread through their bodies as they slowly turned to look at Ruby, who was standing still and holding her bruised cheek. While her Aura might have protected her from any serious damage, the punch still hurt her quite a bit.

The WBY and WGC felt their hearts stop for a moment once they saw the look in Ruby's eyes. It was a look that promised nothing but pain and terror.

''You six,'' the young team leader called out to the older ladies.

''Y-Yes?'' the six asked in fear, only to feel their bodies freeze from horror as Ruby suddenly pulled out her scythe.

''Pray for your lives.''

* * *

Back in the alternate world with the real WBY and WGC, the six ladies were in the middle of calming down Ruby by essentially pampering her, when they all suddenly felt cold chills run down their spines at the same time. None of them knew what caused this, only that they all felt like the grim reaper himself had just touched their backs.

''Did any of you feel that just now?'' Yang asked while rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm herself.

''Y-Yeah. it was so.. cold and... terrifying,'' Cinder answered.

''What in the world was it?'' Weiss asked.

''Whatever it was, I pray that I don't have to meet it,'' Glynda stated to which the WBY and the other two WGC members agreed to.

* * *

Back in the Remnant we know, Ruby had just finished dealing the most painful punishment she could to her teammates and the other WGC. The six older ladies were currently piled on top of each other with every one of their bodies covered in bad scratches and bruises and they were all groaning in pain.

''Let this be a lesson to you all,'' Ruby said sternly as she put away her scythe. ''Never EVER anger me like this or I'll make this feel like the most pleasant thing in the world. Understood?''

The WBY and WGC could only nod as tears of fear and pain fell from their eyes. Once she had received their answer, Ruby turned around and started to make her way to the library, hoping to get rid of her bad mood with a good book. While she left, the six ladies did their best to get up from the ground, so they could run away from the redheaded monster that had just put them through hell.

* * *

Back in alternate Remnant, Weiss had just finished explaining the situation to the WGC. The three women had first been shocked over finding out where they had just gone. Winter had been especially shocked, since this had been her experiment, after all. However, that shock was soon replaced with pure fury, once they learned how Ruby was being treated in this world. The WGC were downright furious that someone could even consider harming the lovely redhead, even if those people were their alternate selves from this world.

''How dare they?! HOW DARE THEY!?'' Cinder yelled angrily. ''For the sin of even harming a single hair on Ruby's head, those scumbags should face the wrath of hell itself!''

''I agree!'' Glynda stated with her riding crop pulled out. ''We need to find them now and make them pay for what they have done!''

''It's settled then,'' Winter said with a growl. ''We shall find those wretches and punish them for the crimes they have committed.''

''Stop that, you idiots!'' Weiss suddenly yelled, causing the WGC to stop. ''I know that you guys are angry and we are too! However, there isn't much that we can really do! If we start acting up, we would only cause more problems! Right now, we need to focus on getting back to our world!''

''How can you say that?'' Glynda said in a shocked voice. ''How can you think about going back to our world when Ms. Rose is suffering here!?''

''As much as we hate it, we have to leave,'' Blake said sadly. ''We have our responsibilities there that we can't just abandon. Not to mention, there are people there that are waiting for our return. Like OUR Ruby.''

Upon hearing the cat faunus' explanation, the WGC went silent. What Blake had just said was completely true. There were things in their own world that they needed to take care of and people who needed them. Winter had her position in the Atlesian military that she couldn't just abandon, and Glynda not only had her job as a teacher, but her duties with Ozpin, as well. No matter how much they disliked it, they had to go back.

However, one of the three women didn't actually see it that way.

''Well, I'm staying,'' Cinder suddenly said and walked up to Ruby. She took the young redhead from Yang, lifted her up and hugged her as tightly as she could. ''Unlike you people, I absolutely cannot leave her here to suffer. You go and do whatever you want, I'll stay here and give her the life she deserves.''

Before Winter, Glynda or the WBY could protest the villainess' choice, Ruby spoke up.

''You can't do that, Cinder,'' the redhead said, surprising everyone in the room. ''You can't abandon everything you have just for my sake. I know that you are worried about me, but I am more worried about you. If you stay here, you might end up regretting it in the long run.''

''B-But Ruby... I can't just-'' Cinder began to argue, but was cut off by the girl in her arms.

''You can. And you need to,'' Ruby said before looking at everyone in the room. ''You are all amazing people with great lives ahead of you in your world. I would never be able to live with myself, if I were the reason any of you had to abandon them. You need to go back, not just for the sake of others, but also for yourselves and for me.''

''Are you sure about this, Ruby?'' Weiss asked. ''If even one of us stayed here, you would be safe forever. No one could harm you anymore.''

''I cannot put my safety above the needs of others. And I need to stand on my own, too,'' the redhead answered. ''I am grateful that I got to meet you all. You have shown me that there is a chance even for someone like me to find happiness and love, which is something that I can't take from others. Having any of you stay here would mean that others would lose that love and joy you bring to them, and I can't be the person to do that to them.''

''Maybe we could take you with us,'' Yang suggested. ''We could bring you to our world and away from this hell you're living in. Please?''

''No. We can't do that,'' Ruby said. ''Much like your place is in your world, my place is here. Meeting you has taught me that I need to face my problems and not just run away from them. All of you have given me the strength to do this and I will always be grateful for that. I don't want to run or hide anymore. I want to face my world with my own strength from now on.''

Upon hearing the young redhead's speech and seeing the determination in her eyes, the WBY and the WGC knew that none of them could change her mind. They would have to go and leave her behind. Despite feeling proud of Ruby for the courage and willpower she was showing, their hearts were broken with sadness through knowing just what kind of a life they would be leaving her to face.

The WBY and the WGC could only do one thing. They all went to hug Ruby in order to show much they truly loved her.

''The me from your world is very fortunate for having all of you in her life,'' Ruby said as a couple of tears escaped her eyes. ''Please take care of her.''

The six older ladies could only nod as tears fell from their eyes. None of them wanted to leave the young redhead, but they had to. And that crushed their hearts.

The group hug was suddenly interrupted by a strange glow that came from the other side of the window. All the people in the room walked up to the window to see what was going on and saw a strange, blue portal on the ground just under them.

''What is that?'' Yang asked.

''I think that's our ticket home,'' Winter answered. ''I'm guessing that the researchers at the SDC must have fixed the teleporter and are now opening a portal for us to go home.''

''Then this is it,'' Ruby said with a small smile. ''Now is the time for you to go where you belong and return to the people who need you. I hope that everything goes alright with you all.''

Before the WBY and the WGC left, they all turned to Ruby one last time to give her a hug and a kiss and tell her their last goodbyes. Most of them simply told her to take care, except Yang and Glynda, who told Ruby to ''give hell'' to their alternate selves and to not bow down to them.

The last one to say goodbye to the redhead was Cinder, who had serious trouble with it. As much as she tried, the words died in her throat as she tried to simply say ''goodbye'' to the girl in front of her.

''You can still change your mind,'' the raven-haired woman finally managed to say. ''I can still stay here with you and make sure that-''

Cinder's proposal was stopped by a finger on her lips by Ruby. The redhead gave the villainess a sad smile and shook her head.

''As great as that sounds, we both know that we can't do that,'' Ruby said. ''You have your own place. I have mine. We can't change that. There are just too many things that would go wrong if we did.''

Upon seeing that she couldn't change the redhead's mind, Cinder pulled the girl into a strong hug and kissed her on the lips with as much passion as she could. She wanted to leave Ruby with one last happy memory that she could carry with herself for the rest of her life.

The other five ladies watched Cinder with envy as none of them had kissed Ruby on the lips. Not in this world or in their own. As much as they wanted to pry the villainess off the redhead, they knew that they couldn't. They couldn't ruin this moment out of their petty envy, as this was one of the few moments of true happiness that this Ruby had most likely ever experienced in her life.

Cinder eventually pulled away, leaving a stunned Ruby. The raven-haired woman then turned around and started to walk up to the window again, so that she could jump to the portal and go home.

''You better find happiness here, Ruby,'' Cinder whispered as tears fell from her eyes and she jumped from the window and into the portal with the others soon following after her. Once they had all gone through it, the portal closed up, shutting down the connection between the two worlds.

Now that Ruby was all alone, she let a couple of tears fall from her eyes. Truth be told, she wanted these visitors from another world to stay. However, she knew that it wouldn't be right and that it shouldn't happen. They all had their own places in their respective worlds and they shouldn't go and change that.

The redhead closed the window to her dorm and walked out of the room. She decided to go take a walk and hopefully clear her head from what had just happened.

* * *

Back with the WBY and the WGC, the two groups had made their way through the portal and back to their own world. Their trip between realities had gone so well that they had actually managed to go where they started, the SDC research station. The six ladies were surrounded by researchers who were cheering over the safe return of their test subjects.

''Ms. Schnee, how wonderful to see that you are all okay!'' one of the researchers said happily as he ran up to the group. ''We were worried that we might never see any of you again!''

''I am also glad that things worked out in the end,'' the white-haired woman said. ''Do you have any idea what caused all of this?''

''We are still trying to figure out the exact details, but one of our main computers was destroyed while the teleportation was starting,'' the researcher explained. ''Because of that, a lot of the settings that had been made got switched up, causing our experiment to not go according to our plans.''

''Keep looking into this. I want the exact reasons for this to be found, so we can be better prepared next time we attempt this,'' Winter ordered.

''Understood. There's one more thing, though. Whatever it is that caused this accident, seems to have changed the nature of our teleporter. We looked at some of the readings we got and it seems that not only were we sending something, we were also receiving something.''

''What do you mean by that?''

''I mean that not only were you sent to your destination, but we also accidentally pulled something from that same place you went to.''

''Any idea what was pulled out from there and where it went?''

''I'm afraid not. Our equipment was so damaged that we couldn't locate where the teleportations occurred. All we know is that whatever we got from that place has most likely gone back there when we got you here.''

Winter looked down in thought. Even if things had been returned to normal, she couldn't help but feel that something bad had happened.

''Hey, we still get our little Ruby dolls, right!?'' Yang suddenly yelled. ''I mean, we did take part in your science project and everything, so I think we deserve our reward! It wasn't our fault that things didn't go the way you wanted!''

The white-haired woman let out a frustrated sigh while the others voiced the agreement with Yang.

* * *

Once the WBY, Glynda and Cinder had gotten their rewards, the group of six ladies was on it's way back to Beacon. Since the research station was in Vale, it wasn't a long trip for them to get back. In just about an hour, the group was back in Beacon.

''It's good to be home,'' Weiss said with a smile. ''It almost feels like what we just went through was nothing but a dream.''

''Yeah, it really does,'' Yang agreed. The blonde then noticed a certain redhead in the distance. ''Hey, it's Ruby!''

The other ladies turned to look where Yang was pointing and saw the girl they all loved. With big smiles on their faces, they all started to run towards the young team leader. Even though they had not been separated from her for a long time, it felt like an eternity after the little trip they took.

Both the WBY and the WGC were happily waving and calling Ruby's name in order to get her attention. However, they soon stopped in their tracks once the redhead turned to look at them with the most furious glare they had ever seen on her face. There was also a dark, murderous aura around the little scythe-wielder, which caused the six ladies to tremble in fear.

''R-Ruby? Is everything okay?'' Yang asked fearfully.

''You dare ask that after what you did!?'' Ruby said with fury dripping from her voice. She then pulled out her scythe and said, ''Guess I need to remind you six!''

The WBY and the WGC ran and screamed in terror as the furious redhead chased after them.

* * *

Back in the alternate reality, Ruby was walking in Beacon's front yard, lost in thought. She was thinking about what she would do now. The young girl had decided to start standing up for herself from now on, but that still left a big problem. How would she deal with her abusers? They wouldn't take her new way of life well.

Ruby was broken out of her thoughts as she noticed her teammates, Winter, Glynda and Cinder walk towards her. For some reason, all six ladies were covered in bruises and were struggling to stay up. Even though their current state confused Ruby, she was still going to tell them that she would no longer let them push her around.

With her mind made up, the redhead walked towards the group of six with resolve in her steps.

''H-Hey!'' Ruby called out to her tormentors, gaining their attention. She was glaring at them and had her hands in fists as she readied herself to what she was about to say.

However, the redhead didn't notice that the six older ladies were actually terrified of her. They were still unaware of what had actually happened and thought that they were in for another beating.

''I-I'm not going to-!'' Ruby began to say, but her bullies suddenly bowed down to the ground, like she was a queen or something.

''PLEASE FORGIVE US!'' the six ladies pleaded at the same time, confusing Ruby.

''Huh? Wha-?''

''We swear that we will never hurt you again!'' Weiss yelled.

''So please don't hurt us!'' Yang pleaded.

''Uhhhh... Okay?'' Ruby said, unsure of what was going on.

* * *

True to their word, the six ladies had stopped bullying Ruby entirely. Not only did they stop hurting her, but they also stopped doing every other mean thing they had ever done to the redhead. Ruby's teammates had even given her a proper bed to sleep in.

However, it didn't take long until things changed, but not for the worse. Now that the six ladies weren't actively hating Ruby, they soon started to notice how nice the girl actually was. It didn't take long until they actually befriended her and started spending time with her. It seemed like Ruby had finally found happiness, but she didn't know just how far things with her would go.

About two months later, Ruby was sitting in the cafeteria with her six new friends, except she wasn't sitting on a chair and the six ladies weren't just friends anymore.

''Awww, Ruby's just so cute!'' Glynda cooed while she had said girl sitting on her lap and she was hugging her. ''She is like the best teddy bear one could ask for!''

''Glynda, can I hold her, too?'' Yang asked as she sat next to the teacher and was stroking Ruby's head. ''I want to have her sit on my lap, as well!''

''No, next is my turn,'' Weiss said.

''No, the next turn's mine,'' Winter argued.

''When do I get my turn?'' Cinder asked.

''Your turn is after mine,'' Blake answered.

Ruby let out a sigh while the six older ladies started arguing over who gets to hold her next. While the six ladies never got into any big fights, it was still tiresome to the redhead to have them argue over things like who gets to hold her next or walk next to her and so on. After they had stopped bullying her, the six had quickly changed from friends to her lovers. To say the least, Ruby had been quite shocked when her six former bullies had suddenly walked up to her and asked her to become their mutual girlfriend. Not knowing what she should do, the redhead just said ''yes'' and had soon become the center of their attention from that point on. It was like all the torment had suddenly changed into pampering or something.

Despite her occasional frustration with how her new girlfriends liked to pamper her, Ruby was still happy. After all, not only did she have six great girlfriends, but they never fought with each other. The redhead could only wonder if her alternate counterpart from the other world lived her life like this.

Little did she know how different things were in that other world, especially when it came to Ruby Rose.

* * *

 **Author's notes: I am so glad this is finally done. While this was a fun idea to play with, it was still a bit frustrating to work with, since it essentially had two copies of each in it for me to work with.**

 **Anyways, with this story arc done, we are another step closer to the end of this story. While I am not completely sure, I'd say that there are only five or six chapters left and then this story is over. And three of those chapters are for the finale.**

 **Hope you guys liked this chapter and will check out the next one when it comes out.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	37. Video Gaming

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 37: Video Gaming**

It had been about two months since the WBY's and the WGC's trip to the alternate reality, and both groups were finally starting to get back on friendly terms with Ruby Rose. It had been very difficult, to say the least, since the young team leader didn't exactly believe their explanation of alternate versions of them being the cause and everything. Ruby had been very clear with how angry she was with her teammates and the three women, and it took a lot of work to get that anger to die down.

After about a month of trying to make things right, the sniper had finally calmed down enough that she could stand to be around the six older ladies. From that point on, each of the six ladies had started to build back the relationships they had with Ruby, one step at a time. The work was hard and progressing slowly, but both the WBY and WGC felt that it was more than worth it.

It was during this time that the WBY would learn of what they would call their ''opportunity of a lifetime.'' It was Friday and the three older girls of team RWBY were heading towards their dorm after finishing their last classes. The three girls were once again arguing over who had the best chances with their team leader.

''I'm telling you two that when it comes to winning Ruby, I'm the one who is closest to that goal out of all of us!'' Weiss said with a cocky smirk. ''Thanks to me being her partner, she knows that we need to have a good relationship between us! She is such a responsible leader that she is personally going to make sure that we get on good terms again! That's when I'll win her for myself!''

''Oh, so you're just going to be sitting on your ass while Rubes does everything? You really are a spoiled princess, aren't you?'' Yang mocked her teammate with a smirk.

''What!? NO! That's not what I mean!'' the heiress quickly said angrily with a blush on her face. ''What I mean is that despite whatever you two try to do to get back to her good side, I will always have the best chances with her! It's just common sense!''

''Well your pampered, tiny mind is far from common, if that's what you think!'' Blake said with a glare directed at her teammate. ''When you really think about it, I'm the one with the best chances to not only get back on her good side, but to also claim her love!''

''And just what on earth makes you think that!?'' Weiss asked while fuming.

''Ruby is the kindest soul this world has ever known, and she knows about my harsh past and all the bad things I had to go through,'' the cat faunus explained. ''She would never be able to live with herself, if she ever risked leaving me all alone to face my past. I know that Ruby will do everything she can to make sure that she stays my friend and that I won't have to face my past on my own.''

''Relying on pity is pretty lame, kitty cat,'' Yang said, causing her partner to fume.

''Then how are YOU supposed to be the one that has the best chance of claiming her!? You tell us that!'' Blake yelled angrily.

''Oh, that's so easy. We grew up together like sisters, remember?'' the blonde said with a smirk. ''I'm her number one best friend and sister all rolled into one. No way would Rubes ever even dream about breaking the bond between us. I'm just way too important for her to do that.''

''You're just using the fact that you two grew up together as an excuse! No way does that work!'' Weiss shouted angrily while pointing at the brawler.

''Well it's a lot better than your lame theories!'' Yang shouted back at her teammates.

''What was that!?'' the heiress said angrily.

''You take that back!'' Blake demanded.

The three girls were about to start throwing punches at each, when they saw Ruby walking in the distance. The WBY also noticed that their team leader seemed to be deep in thought, like something was bothering her. The three girls immediately all had the same idea going through their minds.

 _'EASY BROWNIE POINTS WITH RUBY!'_ the WBY thought to themselves and started to quickly run up to the last member of their team, eyes gleaming with excitement.

''Ruby, is something wrong!? Can I help you!?'' the three older girls asked at the same time, which surprised the young redhead quite a bit.

''Ummm... Nothing's really wrong...'' Ruby answered, still in quite a shock over the way her teammates just suddenly appeared in front of her. ''I was just thinking about something...''

''It could help, if you talk with someone! Like me!'' Weiss said with a big smile.

''Or me!'' Blake added.

''Don't forget about me!'' Yang said.

''...Sure. I'll keep that in mind,'' Ruby said, a bot freaked out over the way the older girls were acting. ''It's just that something came up and I'm not sure of how to resolve it.''

''What is it?'' the WBY asked simultaneously.

''Okay, you three need to stop that talking at the same time stuff right now. It's freaking me out,'' the sniper grumbled, starting to get a bit annoyed. ''Anyways, I recently bought this ticket for contest where they were giving out different prizes. I was personally hoping to get the lifetime supply of cookies, but instead I just got a call that I won something different.''

''What did you win?'' Weiss asked with her eyes full of curiosity. Blake and Yang had the same look in their eyes, as well.

''I won two tickets to a movie festival. Apparently, they are showing a lot of romantic movies there,'' Ruby answered. ''I just don't know what to do with them.''

The moment they heard their team leader's answer, the minds of the WBY started to formulate plans and simulations in their heads. They were all certain that Ruby wanted to go with one of them. The only problem was that the scythe-wielder didn't know who to choose, which was something they would help with. All three girls felt that the one that could get to be the one to go with Ruby to the film festival would surely become the winner over their little ''war.''

 _'I have to be the one that goes with Ruby!'_ the three girls of the WBY thought to themselves.

''Don't worry, Ruby! We'll figure out who you can go to the film festival with!'' the older girls quickly said before running away, leaving behind only a dust cloud.

''What? But- I-'' the team leader tried to argue back, but her teammates were already long gone. All Ruby could do was let out a sigh and walk away while mumbling to herself, ''I don't even want to go there...''

Little did any of team RWBY's members know that they had their ''conversation'' right in front of a certain teacher's office. And there were three people right behind the door listening to them.

* * *

The WBY eventually made it to their destination, their team's dorm, and immediately started to talk with each other. Despite being excited over their ''opportunity,'' they all knew that they would have to somehow settle who would go with Ruby.

''Alright, you two! I know that we all want to go with Ruby to the film festival with Ruby, but we need to decide it through some form of a contest,'' Weiss stated to which the other two girls agreed. ''Any ideas?''

''How about a simple contest of strength, like arm-wrestling?'' Yang suggested with a smirk. ''That would be a simple and effective way of solving this, wouldn't it?''

''Simple and effective maybe, but not fair,'' Blake argued. ''You would obviously win, since you can wrestle Ursas as a light exercise.''

Before Yang could argue back, Weiss said, ''I agree with Blake. That is completely unfair towards us.''

''Well, do you have any better suggestions!?'' Yang said back angrily, upset that her plan had been foiled.

''As a matter of fact, I do,'' the heiress said with a smirk. ''How about we compete through dancing or singing?''

''That would be something that requires us to get a judge, which I doubt we can do at such a short notice,'' Blake argued, making the heiress fume.

''Yeah, not to mention, you would probably just bribe whoever would act as that judge,'' Yang added.

''WHAT!? I would never lower myself to such a lowly act!'' Weiss yelled angrily. _'Damn! To think that they saw through my plan so easily!'_

''How about we have a contest of our minds?'' Blake suggested with a smirk. ''I suggest that we do quiz on literature and-''

''HELL NO!'' both Weiss and Yang yelled at the same time, cutting off their teammate.

''You have memorized pretty much every book in existence, so there's no way we could win!'' the blonde added.

''Well, what are we going to do then!?'' Blake asked angrily.

The three girls stood in the middle of the room in silence, glaring at each other. They all knew that they had to find a way to solve this, but could not come up with a way to do it properly. Each girl could only think of ways where they had advantage over their rivals, which would not be accepted by them.

Suddenly, Yang noticed something out of the corner of her eye that made her grin. She found a way to solve their dispute.

''I think I know what we can do,'' the blonde said as she walked up to their TV with her two teammates looking at her. ''We have just the thing here for this situation.''

''Might I ask what it is?'' Weiss asked, not fully trusting her teammate.

''It's this!'' Yang exclaimed happily as she showed the video game console she had brought with her from Patch. ''We are going to compete in the form of video games to find out which one of us gets to go with Rubes to the film festival!''

''But... isn't that still unfair against us?'' Weiss asked in a confused tone. ''I mean, you are the one who has the most experience with those things out of all of us.''

''Not to worry! I have the perfect solution for all your worries!'' the brawler said as she pulled out one of her games. Her teammates noticed that the game was still wrapped in plastic, meaning that no one had played it yet. ''I just got this brand new fighting game delivered in the mail this morning. It has completely new mechanics when compared to other games I have played, meaning that I am just as new to this as you guys are!''

Both Weiss and Blake looked at each other, still unsure about their teammate's suggestion. While it seemed that she was speaking the truth, they weren't certain if they should go with it. Neither one of them had as much experience with video games as Yang did, so they were not all that confident about their chances of winning. However, they also knew that they didn't have anything better to suggest, and they needed to quickly find a way to solve their dispute. Otherwise, they might risk having someone else come in and take their ''rightful place'' next to Ruby.

In the end, it was their paranoia and need to find a quick solution that had them make their decision.

''Alright, I'm in,'' Weiss said and Blake nodded, showing that she also agreed to the terms. ''But there better be no cheating or other trickery involved, okay?''

''Oh, trust me! This will be completely fair!'' Yang said with a grin while chuckling to herself. While she had been honest about the fact that she had never played the game before, she did have a good amount of experience with fighting games. She knew that a lot of them were basically made from the same mold with some light variations in order to make them different. This meant that she had the best chance at winning by experience alone. ''Well, with that settled, how about we get-''

The blonde was suddenly cut off by the door to their dorm getting kicked open by none other than the three women of the WGC.

''Hold it right there!'' Winter called out. ''You won't be having any contests over Ruby Rose, unless WE are involved with it!''

''What the-!? How do you people know about what we're doing!?'' Weiss asked angrily.

''You should pay more attention to your surroundings,'' Glynda answered with a smirk. ''You were right next to my office while you were talking with Ms. Rose about her tickets. You can only blame yourselves over letting such precious information reaching our ears.''

''You might know about Ruby's tickets, but this contest is between the three of us, so back off!'' Blake threatened. ''Besides, you have no business being in our dorm!''

''Oh? What is this? Are our great rivals perhaps afraid?'' Cinder said mockingly, angering the WBY further. ''And here I thought that we should be worried about competing with you three. i guess you are nothing but cowards in the end.''

''Grrrr! If that's how you want it, then so be it! We'll take you on, too, and show you just who you are messing with!'' Yang yelled angrily with her eyes red.

* * *

With everything settled, the six ladies started their contest over accompanying Ruby to the film festival. In order to get done with the contest as soon as possible, both groups had decided that their members would each first compete against their respective rivals. This meant that Weiss was up against Winter, Yang was against Glynda and Blake would face Cinder. When the final three were decided, they would draw lots to see which two of them would face each other first, before going to the final round with the third competitor.

First up was the match between Weiss and Winter. Both of the white-haired looked at each other with contempt as they sat down on the floor and waited for Yang to set up the game.

''I hope you're ready to lose, Winter. Today I will finally beat you,'' Weiss said while letting out a small growl.

''Oh my, what great dreams you have there, little sister. But I suppose it fits a child who doesn't know the real world yet,'' Winter shot back mockingly with a smirk, causing her younger sister to get angrier. ''I'm afraid that your dream is going to stay as nothing more than a fantasy, as I actually have experience with video games, unlike you.''

Before Weiss could say anything more, Yang managed to cut her off as she handed the controllers to the Schnee sisters.

''Look, I don't really care what you feel towards each other, so could you just get started?'' Yang asked in a frustrated tone. ''I really want to get this all settled as soon as possible.''

''Hmph! Fine!'' the heiress said and took one of the controllers. ''Let's get this over with so I can join my partner in her film festival!''

Weiss and the others waited for Winter to take her controller so that their contest could start. However, the older Schnee sister just sat still while staring at the controller with wide eyes.

''What are you waiting for, Winter?'' Glynda asked impatiently. ''Just take the controller and get on with it!''

''I... Just... what kind of a controller is THIS?'' Winter asked, still staring at the controller like it was something completely alien to her. ''There's just WAY too many buttons on it! Shouldn't it only have one button and a stick on it?''

Everyone stared at the white-haired woman with wide eyes. The type of controllers she had just described were decades old already and had not been used ever since.

''How old are you exactly?'' Yang asked, causing Winter to fume in anger.

''How rude! It's not my fault that the only video game console I could ever get my hands on was my father's old one!'' the soldier yelled angrily, her face red from embarrassment.

''Hah! I guess I will be the winner then, since I at least keep up with current technology!'' Weiss said mockingly.

''...How about you say that after you learn to hold the controller properly?'' Blake said blankly. ''The buttons are on the other side, Weiss.''

After getting the two Schnee sisters to hold their controllers like they should, the two of them could finally get their match started. However, it soon became clear to the others that nothing would really come out of the whole thing, as neither of the two white-haired ladies could land a hit on each other.

''Just... wait... I'll get you!'' Weiss said while struggling with the controls. ''Oh, for the love of-! Why is this so hard!?''

''Ha! This clearly shows which of us is the superior sister! I actually managed to take a step towards you! I'll soon-!'' Winter said arrogantly, only to accidentally make her character take two steps back. ''Oh, damn! There goes the progress I've made!''

While the two sisters were locked in their fight against the controls, the other ladies were looking at them with annoyed looks on theor faces. Even if they were trying to defeat the Schnee sisters in their competition over Ruby, it was downright frustrating for them to watch the two white-haired ladies struggle so much with no real progress at all.

''Man, this is just painful to watch,'' Yang said. ''Normally I wouldn't mind watching those two make complete asses out of themselves, but this is just sad.''

''For once, I agree with you, Ms. Xiao Long,'' Glynda said. ''There should be a limit to how badly one can perform in this.''

''Not to mention that we have to wait until one of them actually wins,'' Blake said with a groan. ''How long do you think that is going to take?''

''By the looks of it, the rest of eternity,'' Cinder answered. ''Their round is almost over and neither has managed to land a single hit.''

True to the villainess' words, the time soon ran out in the match between Weiss and Winter, thus causing it to end in a draw. Both of the sisters turned to look at each other, still determined to find out which one of them is better.

''Another round?'' Weiss asked.

''Certainly,'' Winter answered.

''NO!'' the other ladies yelled at the same time, shocking the Schnee sisters.

''B-But we need to-'' Weiss tried to argue but was cut off.

''You two played that entire round without being able to hit either one a single damn time! Even complete amateurs can land at least one hit, so what's your excuse!?'' Yang ranted. ''You two are hereby disqualified, as no one should be that pathetic while playing this game!''

''B-But we deserve to-!'' Winter tried to argue but was silenced by the other four ladies glaring at her and Weiss with absolute fury in their eyes. The two Schnees could only go sit in a corner in shame.

''Now that those two are out of the way, how about we get this really started?'' Yang asked in a cocky voice while looking at Glynda.

''Any time you're ready,'' the teacher answered with a smirk.

* * *

With the round between Weiss and Winter over, it was now time for Yang and Glynda to have their match. Both blondes sat on the floor and got ready to play the game.

''I guess we have switched roles, because I'm about to teach you a lesson in losing!'' Yang yelled with a cocky grin on her face.

''I wouldn't go saying such things, if I were you,'' Glynda stated. ''You might be surprised at just how well I play.''

The younger blonde didn't believe the teacher's words at all. She was certain that she would win thanks to her large amount of experience with fighting games. Yang didn't think that Glynda would be able to be much of an opponent at all.

Little did the brawler realize just how wrong she was.

As soon as the round started, Yang charged her character straight at Glynda's, hoping to end their match quickly. However, she was shocked to see that not only did the witch avoid her attack, but she was able to respond with a pretty long and powerful combo. Through the rest of the match, Yang struggled against her opponent, but was unable to even land a hit. In the end, the blonde girl was absolutely defeated, while the teacher was victorious.

Yang slowly turned to look at her opponent, who was casually whistling to herself, and asked, ''Just... how? How are you so skilled?''

''Oh, the poor and naive Ms. Xiao Long. Did it ever occur to you that I might have history with fighting games, as well?'' Glynda asked with a smirk. ''Back in the day, I was a real demon in the arcade that simply dominated the fighting games. I have no idea just how many so-called ''experts'' I sent running out of there crying, but it all earned me the nickname ''Queen of Fighters.'' In short, you'll need a lot more practice before you have any hope of facing me, little girl.''

''...I think you might have one more of those people you've made cry,'' the brawler said in a sad and defeated tone. _'My perfect plan... and my perfect chance for Ruby... all lost in one go...'_

* * *

With the match between the two blondes done, it was time for Blake and Cinder to have their turn. The two ladies sat on the floor and got ready to face off against each other in the game.

''Hope you're ready for this, because I am,'' Blake said mockingly to her opponent.

''Uh... Sure. Whatever you say,'' Cinder replied, not really paying attention to the person sitting next to her.

The raven-haired woman's response surprised the cat faunus, who had expected her opponent to try give her own cocky remark of some kind. However, it seemed like Cinder wasn't really paying attention to what was going on, almost like she was focused only on the game and not what was at stake. Blake decided to ignore this and simply focus on her match, since a lot was riding on it.

Meanwhile, Cinder had forgotten all about why they were playing video games in the first place. She was too busy being taken away by the excitement of getting to play video games. In all of her life, the raven-haired woman had never even touched such games, let alone played them. To her this was a completely new experience that she had wanted to try out for a long time. Ever since she had seen Mercury playing games in their dorm, she had been having this strange curiosity that needed to be satisfied, and now she would get a chance for that.

The match between the two raven-haired ladies began and they both attacked each other. Even though Cinder was a beginner, she was faring quite well against Blake. The match was very even between the two, but in the end, it was Blake who was victorious.

The cat faunus turned towards her opponent so that she could gloat, but saw that the villainess had a strange look of joy on her face. To be honest, Blake was a bit creeped out by it.

''Uhhh... Is everything... okay?'' the raven-haired girl asked carefully.

''...That was so much fun... THAT WAS SO MUCH FUN!'' Cinder yelled happily, surprising everyone in the room. ''Can I play again!? Please!?''

''Ummmm... Sure?'' Blake answered uncertainly. ''Maybe after we are done with our contest, okay?''

''Wait... Contest?'' the villainess wondered, before eyes went wide with realization. ''Oh NO! I forgot all about our contest over Ruby! DAMMIT!''

''How the hell could she forget about it!?'' Glynda asked Winter angrily.

''Don't ask me. You know as well as I do that she has a few screws loose,'' the soldier answered.

* * *

Now that only two contestants were remaining, it was time for the final round. Glynda and Blake took their places on the floor and got ready. They didn't say anything to each other, as they were too focused on winning the match and getting the prize. Both players were set on claiming victory.

The match started and Glynda was the first to strike. She managed to get a couple of hits, but Blake managed to escape from getting caught in the combo. The cat faunus managed to land a special move that evened the situation. From that point on, the match went on very evenly, with both players getting a few hits here and there, and managing to avoid getting knocked out. Eventually, the match evolved into both players trying to get a hit with their opponent somehow managing to dodge. Both Glynda and Blake were very close to losing. Only one hit and either one could go down.

Then suddenly the time ran out and the match became a draw.

All the occupants in the room just looked at each other with wide eyes, wondering what to do. Only the sounds from the game could be heard.

''I think Glynda and I need to have a rematch and decide the victor that way,'' Blake suddenly said.

''I agree,'' the teacher said with a nod.

''Hang on! When Winter and I had our match end in a draw, you guys just kicked us out of the whole thing!'' Weiss yelled angrily.

''Yeah! I think we deserve another chance, if you two do!'' the soldier added.

''You two are so bad it would be a waste of time to have you play again!'' Yang yelled. ''On the other hand, I deserve another chance! I'm sure Glynda only caught me off-guard on our last match, so I can take her on!''

''Does that mean I get another chance, too!?'' Cinder asked, excited that she could get to play again.

''Sure... Whatever...''

Soon the whole room was filled with the sound of the six ladies arguing. The noise only stopped when they heard the door to the dorm opening, causing them to turn around and see Ruby coming in.

''What's going on in here?'' the redhead asked. ''I heard all this noise coming from here, like a war was going on.''

''Uhhh... We were just...'' Yang said while trying to think about an explanation. ''Playing video games! Yeah! That's all!''

''That's right!'' Glynda added. ''We just got into a bit of an argument over our last match!''

''Did you say video games?'' Ruby asked with her eyes lighting up. ''Can I join!?''

''Sure! Go ahead!'' Weiss answered, causing the young team leader to walk up to them and sit on the floor. ''By the way, Ruby, who are you going to take with you to that film festival?''

''What are you talking about, Weiss? I'm not going there,'' Ruby answered.

''WHAT!?'' the six older ladies yelled at the same time, shocking the young redhead.

''Well, you see, I'm not all that into romantic movies, which are the only things they show there. I do like some romance in stories, but I kind of want something more, too,'' Ruby explained.

Both the WBY and the WGC thought about the redhead's words and agreed. Truth be told, none of them were into romantic movies either. Yang and Winter liked action movies, the latter especially liking those that were of the superhero kind. Weiss enjoyed comedies and Cinder preferred horror movies. The only ones that really liked romance movies were Blake and Glynda, but their preferred type of romance was of the more ''adult variety'' so to speak.

''So what did you do with those tickets of yours?'' Cinder asked out of curiosity.

''I gave them to Neptune. He told me he could use them,'' Ruby answered.

''That guy? He's probably going to beg every person that wears a skirt in Beacon to go with him,'' Weiss said with a roll of her eyes.

''Nah. He said that he had someone already. Apparently, he has some sort of a secret admirer or something,'' the redhead explained, surprising the others. ''Don't know who that person is, though. Even he didn't know.''

* * *

A couple of days later, Neptune would find out just who his secret admirer was. He had left a message for them with the other ticket, telling them to meet him at the film festival. However, the blue-haired boy soon regretted this decision, once he saw who the admirer was. He had imagined them to be one of the cutest girls in Beacon, who had just been too shy to reveal their identity to him. Not the person they turned out to be.

Neptune would have never guessed that the person secretly in love with him would be team CRDL's Dove.

''I'm so happy right now!'' Dove said in an excited voice as he and Neptune stood at the entrance to the film festival. ''This is like a dream come true to me!''

''Ummm... I'm not sure how I feel about this,'' the blue-haired boy said awkwardly, before the other boy grabbed his arm and dragged him along.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This chapter is essentially dedicated to THB4, who has been very supportive towards me and my writing. He has also sent me a lot of suggestions for this story, including this one. Unfortunately, since I was often busy writing something else and I'm trying to finish this story, I won't be doing any of the other ones he suggested. I hope that he at least finds this one satisfying.**

 **When it comes to the ending, I wanted to end it in a joke. At first, I was thinking of having Ruby give the tickets to Jaune and Pyrrha, but I decided against it. It would have been too obvious and not really funny. Same with Nora and Ren. I also thought about Coco and Velvet, but I didn't like it, since neither one had been confirmed gay in this story, so it would have felt like I was just doing it since the pairing is fairly popular. I decided to go with the ending here because not only did I feel like it was funny and unexpected, but it would also use a character that had been confirmed to be gay in this story. Go to chapter three for confirmation on that.**

 **Anyways, I might take a quick break from this story now. I kind of want to work on something different for a moment before getting back to this.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	38. Cookie Contest

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 38: Cookie Contest**

It had been a few days since the WBY and the WGC had their video game contest. Things were still pretty much the same with the two groups competing over Ruby with each other and among themselves. The only thing that had changed was that Cinder had begun spending a lot of time in her dorm playing video games. It seemed like her having experienced gaming for the first time had a big impact on her.

Currently, the two groups of WBY and WGC were once again caught up in an argument over the young redhead they all loved. The ladies were arguing over which group could spend the next weekend with Ruby, as both groups had their own ideas of what the young team leader would like more.

''Get this through your thick heads, you old hags!'' Yang yelled angrily at the WGC. ''WE are taking Ruby to the movies on Saturday! There's a new Studio Ghibli movie coming out and she loves them, so she is coming with us!''

''Who are you calling old, you snotty brat!?'' Glynda yelled back at the WBY. ''Besides, WE are the ones who will be taking Ms. Rose with us on Saturday! There is a new karaoke cafe opening in the city and we know that she would love to go there with us!''

''Yeah! And after that we can take her to the arcade!'' Cinder added happily, causing her two comrades to give her blank stares.

''Cinder, we know that you're currently obsessed with video games, but could you at least try to control it a bit?'' Winter asked the raven-haired woman.

''What!? It's a good idea!'' the raven-haired woman argued.

Before anyone could say anything more, a sweet smell suddenly came and caught the attention of the six ladies. They all started to follow it and eventually ended at a kitchen area that the students could use for making food for themselves, if they wanted. Once they arrived there, they were treated to the sight of Ruby making cookies.

''Oh! Hi, guys!'' the redhead cheerfully greeted the six ladies. ''What brings you here?''

''We smelled something delicious and decided to investigate. It seems we found it,'' Blake answered before muttering inaudibly, ''And I'm not just talking about the cookies.''

''What made you decide to start baking suddenly, Rubes?'' Yang asked. ''I mean, if you wanted cookies, I'm sure you could get them from the cafeteria.''

''I could, but I was just... thinking about mom and I... remembered how she used to make these,'' Ruby answered, causing the six older ladies to go wide-eyed. ''I kind of just wanted try it out a bit. To live some good memories.''

While the young team leader was explaining her reason for baking cookies, both the WBY and the WGC were deep in thought. They all knew that their beloved rose liked sweet things a lot, especially cookies. However, they now realized that cookies meant more than simply tasty treats to Ruby. They held dear memories of her mother, something that probably made the treats that much better for her.

All six ladies saw a great chance and they were going to use it.

''Anyways, do any of you want to-?'' Ruby began to aske but noticed that her friends had suddenly disappeared. They had left so fast that she never noticed it at all. ''That's weird... Oh well! More for me!''

* * *

Meanwhile, the WBY and the WGC had run all the way from the kitchen to team RWBY's dorm, knocking away anything and anyone that got in the way. One of these poor victims was Jaune, who got run over by the group of women, causing Pyrrha to cry from horror.

Once they reached team RWBY's dorm, the group of women went inside and got into a big circle in the middle of the room. They were all eager to discuss their new discovery about their beloved rose.

''Okay. I'm certain you all just heard what Ruby said, right?'' Weiss asked the other women, who nodded. ''Do you all know what this means?''

''I suppose it means that our next competition over Ms. Rose has been chosen,'' Winter answered. ''Whoever can make the best cookies for her is sure to win over her heart.''

''Which means that I'm going to finally win this war of ours!'' Yang suddenly stated with a cocky smirk, causing the others to look at her. ''Unlike any of you, I actually helped Ruby's mom in the kitchen when she was making cookies! I've still got the skills, so you all might as well back off! No need to get yourselves embarrassed by trying too hard to beat the impossible!''

''To hell with you, Yang! I'm not going down without a fight!'' Blake yelled angrily at her partner with others voicing similar thoughts.

It didn't take long until the group of six women were once again arguing with each other over who was the best among them. They all had their own reasoning for why they were the best, such as Weiss claiming that her high-class upbringing had her prepared for anything, Yang saying that her bigger amount of experience with Ruby would be the deciding factor and so on.

However, while the arguing was going on, one of the ladies realized something very important.

''Ummm... Guys? Can I ask you all something?'' Cinder asked.

''Cinder, if it has ANYTHING to do with video games, I swear to all that is holy that I will personally throw you out of the window!'' Winter practically growled in response.

''No. I was just wondering about something very essential in what we are arguing about,'' the raven-haired woman said. ''Does any single one of us know how to cook at all?''

Everyone went completely silent over the villainess' question. Due to their excitement over finding out about why Ruby liked cookies so much and the opportunity it presented for them, all of the ladies had forgotten about the one important thing in the matter. Would they be able to make the sugary treats their beloved redhead liked?

''W-Well, I have been so thoroughly trained in every possible way, so I'm certain that I should be able to make a few cookies,'' Weiss mumbled in an unsure voice. She wanted to be all confident and show the others that she was the one who would win, but knew that she had no experience in the kitchen.

''Oh, please! The only training that was even remotely related to food was how to ''eat like a proper lady!'' You and I both know that our father viewed cooking as something a servant should do, so you have absolutely no idea on how to make cookies!'' Winter yelled at her younger sister, causing said girl to blush in embarrassment from getting caught. ''At least I have some experience in cooking! The Atlesian military helped me in learning such skills to perfection!''

''Isn't the Atlesian military's idea of culinary skills to heat up field rations?'' Glynda asked with a raised eyebrow, fully knowing what type of ''cooking skills'' the white-haired woman most likely possessed. ''I'm pretty sure that's not exactly something you can boast about.''

''Well it's better than nothing!'' the soldier argued back with an embarrassed blush on her face. ''Besides, I doubt YOU can do any better!''

''Are you joking? I'll have you know that back when I was studying to become a Huntress, I learned to cook for myself,'' the blonde teacher said with a smirk. ''I am fully capable when it comes down to cooking.''

''Oh really? This ''cooking'' of yours wouldn't happen to consist of those instant foods that even a monkey with brain damage could do?'' Winter asked sarcastically, not believing what the witch had said.

''It requires at least some skill!'' Glynda yelled back.

''Well, unlike all of you, I'm willing to admit that I have no such skills,'' Blake stated, thinking back how all of her meals had been prepared for her by someone else, like her parents or someone from the White Fang. ''What about you, Cinder?''

''I'm no better. I have always had someone do it for me,'' the raven-haired woman answered, thinking about how her servants would make her meals. ''Unless you count Cooking Mama as practice.''

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as all the ladies realized that they none of them seemed to possess the skills they needed. If none of them knew how to cook, then there was no way that they could win over Ruby's heart through such means. However, there was still one person in the group who felt like they could win easily through this way.

''Well, I certainly know what to do!'' Yang stated proudly with a grin. ''Like I told you all, I used to help Ruby's mom when she was making cookies! It looks like this is my victory for sure this time!''

The others were about to respond angrily at the blonde girl's boasting, but they noticed something. Yang's voice didn't sound as confident as it should and there seemed to be sweat falling down her face. It was like she didn't fully believe her own words.

''Are you sure, Yang?'' Weiss asked, her voice full of doubt. ''You don't seem all that confident for some reason.''

''What!? Nonsense! Why wouldn't I be confident in what I just said!?'' the brawler said and tried to hide her nervousness with an obviously fake laugh.

None of the other women believed Yang at all. In fact, now they doubted her even more and were staring at her even more intently. The staring from all of her rivals at the same time caused the blonde girl to start sweat even more, until she finally couldn't take anymore and broke.

''Okay, okay! All I did when Ruby's mom was making cookies was try my best to snatch some chocolate while she wasn't looking! Happy!?'' Yang yelled, finally revealing the truth.

The other five ladies were satisfied to hear the truth and left it at that. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as they all started to think about the situation they were in. While they had found out something useful about Ruby, it seemed like not a single one of them would be able to use it to their advantage.

''So it seems that none of us have any real experience in this area,'' Winter stated thoughtfully, breaking the silence. ''Which means we are on equal ground now.''

''Indeed. I think it's safe to say that whichever one of us is able to make the best possible cookies for Ruby, is most likely going to be the winner,'' Weiss said.

''How about we have a little contest then?'' Cinder suggested, getting everyone's attention. ''We will all try our best to make cookies for Ruby and the one who makes the best ones gets to spend an entire weekend alone with her.''

''Agreed!'' the other five ladies said in unison, liking the idea. It was going to be another contest between them once again.

* * *

It didn't take long until both the WBY and the WGC were in the kitchen together, readying themselves for their cooking competition. Each one had prepared a spot for themselves with all the necessary tools and ingredients, along with a cooking book to keep track on what to do. Unlike before when it was one team against another, now it was each woman for themselves. No one was going to assist anyone this time.

''Everyone ready!?'' Winter asked, to which the others nodded. ''Then let's start!''

Upon the white-haired woman's declaration of the competition starting, all the ladies went immediately to work. They all started to throw their ingredients in their bowls, beginning to make the dough for their cookies. While they all started at the same time, there were two people who seemed to be on the lead, due to being naturally faster than others. These two were Blake and Cinder.

 _'Yes! I've already got the lead!'_ Blake thought to herself happily as she continued mixing her dough. _'I just need to keep up the pace and I'll win for sure!'_

Weiss and Yang had noticed their teammate's progress and didn't like it. Even if they had agreed to determine the winner through cooking alone, they would still use any possible means to help their chances at winning. Luckily for them, Yang had an idea on how to put a temporary stop to Blake's work.

''Ah! Zwei, don't go to Blake! She's too busy to play with you right now!'' the blonde girl yelled with a smirk, knowing what her words would do to her partner.

Upon hearing the corgi's name, Blake immediately went on alert with her body tensing up. And when Yang said that the dog was going towards her, the cat faunus' fight or flight instincts flared up. She threw her bowl of dough in the air and jumped up to the table, hoping to escape the terror that was Zwei. However, she was confused as she looked around and couldn't find the corgi anywhere.

''Oops! Sorry, Blake!'' Yang called out in a clearly fake apologetic voice, causing the raven-haired girl to look at the blonde. Yang had the most evil grin on her face at the moment, as she looked at her scared partner. ''Guess I mistook something else for Zwei! My bad!''

''GODDAMMIT, YANG! THAT WAS LOW, EVEN FOR YOU!'' Blake yelled at the brawler, her face red with fury and embarrassment.

Back with the women of the WGC, Glynda was just about to try and ruin Cinder's progress by using her Semblance to pull dishes from cupboards above the villainess and then dropping them on her. However, that became unnecessary, as the bowl Blake had thrown in the air had landed right on Cinder's head, knocking her down face first into her own bowl of cookie dough.

''Well, that was convenient,'' Glynda said to herself with a chuckle. ''That almost makes up for what Ms. Belladonna did to back when I tried to get Ruby on a date with me.''

After that little incident, the women all went back to work. Blake and Cinder had to start over with their bowls of dough, since all of their previous work had been ruined. Right now, Weiss and Winter were the ones in the lead and they had actually managed to finish making their dough for their cookies.

''One set of perfect cookies coming right up!'' the older Schnee sister said cheerfully as she put her cookies in the oven. ''It seems like I'll be the winner of this competition! Now I just need to wait a while and I can claim Ms. Rose for myself!''

''Aren't you forgetting something?'' Cinder asked the soldier. ''Don't you think you should clean yourself up a bit before taking your cookies to Ruby? I highly doubt that she would appreciate getting cookies from someone covered in dough.''

''You're right! I have to be presentable in front of Ms. Rose!'' Winter said in a shocked voice and dashed over to a nearby sink to clean herself, not alarmed at all by the sudden kindness from one of her rivals.

Cinder smirked as the Atlesian soldier's attention was away from her oven, allowing her to sabotage her opponent's work. The raven-haired woman went and turned up the oven's heat, causing the cookies inside to start burning. Winter only noticed what had happened to her cookies by the time smoke was coming out of the oven.

''What the-!? AAAAAHH! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!?'' the white-haired woman screamed in horror as she tried her best to save the treats, but was too late. She could only sob in defeat as her cookies had been burnt so bad they were inedible.

''Heh! Back in the day, I never thought I would be able to beat Winter in anything, but I guess things are different now,'' Weiss said arrogantly as she was putting her own cookies in the oven. ''All I need to do is finish these and-''

The heiress was cut off by her cookies suddenly exploding as soon as she put them in the oven. Luckily for her, she had her Aura protect her from any serious injuries, but the blast still sent her flying into a wall, where she was then stuck in a daze.

''W-What happened?'' Weiss asked while still stuck on the wall. She was completely dazed by what just happened to her.

''Careful there, Weiss,'' Blake said with a smirk while twirling a small empty container of Dust between her fingers. She had put it's contents on Weiss' cookies while she wasn't looking, causing them to explode upon getting heated up. ''Cooking can be dangerous, especially with the wrong ingredients.''

Now that Weiss and Winter had been sabotaged, Yang and Glynda took the lead. Both ladies had actually managed to not only finish making their bowls of dough, but also to cook their treats in the oven without any problems. Both blondes soon had a whole set of freshly baked cookies at the ready.

''Ha! Looks like I'm winning this one!'' Yang said with a wide grin. ''Guess you losers can already start practicing congratulations for the time me and Ruby get married!''

''It's Ruby and I, Ms. Xiao Long,'' Glynda corrected her student, who was angered by it. ''And I don't think you should get all confident just yet. After all, I think I have way better cookies prepared for Ms. Rose right here.''

''Shouldn't you two try your creations before giving them to Ruby?'' Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow. ''You shouldn't give her those before properly testing them. You might end up killing her otherwise.''

''WHAT!? How dare you say that to me!?'' Yang yelled angrily at her teammate, furious that the heiress would say something like that. ''I'll have you know that I took absolute care in making sure that these would be the best damn possible cookies Rubes could ever get!''

''Oh? Then why don't you try them out and show us just how good they are?'' Weiss asked with a smirk. ''Or are you too afraid to do that?''

''You wanna see me do it!? Fine!'' the brawler yelled before taking one of her cookies and putting it in her mouth. ''See? Nothing wrong at-''

Yang suddenly stopped talking as her face suddenly turned green and she had to spit out the cookie she had in her mouth. The blonde girl fell on her knees as she coughed up every last bit of the horrible treat that had been in her mouth.

''Well, well, well. Guess it wasn't as good as you thought it was, huh?'' Weiss said with a smirk, knowing fully well what had happened. After all, she herself had switched the blonde girl's sugar with salt at the very beginning of the competition, causing her to make cookies that tasted awful.

''Hmph! Just as I would expect of Ms. Xiao Long!'' Glynda said arrogantly as she put one of her own cookies into her mouth. ''At least I knew what I was-''

The blonde teacher was unable to finish her sentence, as her face suddenly turned red and she started to scream in pain. She dropped her cookies on the floor and ran to the sink, where she opened the tap and started to drink as much water as she could.

''What's the matter, Glynda? Too spicy for your taste?'' Winter asked with a laugh, as she knew what was wrong. She had put chili powder into Glynda's dough when she hadn't been looking.

''You... How could you do this to me!?'' the witch screamed in anger as she threw an empty bowl towards the white-haired woman in an attempt to avenge her ruined treats. However, Winter ducked under the projectile, causing it to fly over her and hit Cinder on the head instead, who fell into her own bowl of dough again from the impact.

''That's the second time that's happened to me! SECOND! Someone's gonna pay!'' the raven-haired woman yelled in fury with her face covered in dough, as she started to throw whatever she could get her hands on towards Winter and Glynda.

Weiss started laughing at how the women of the WGC were fighting among themselves. Unfortunately for her, she didn't notice how Yang had gotten up and taken a big bag of flour to use as a weapon. Not until the blonde had smashed it on top of her head, at least.

From that point on, the kitchen was turned into a war zone, as the ladies were throwing and hitting each other with anything they could find. The whole place quickly became a mess of ingredients and broken kitchen tools, as the battle became heated. It soon ended, however, because one of the combatants realized something very important.

''Hang on! Hang on! STOP!'' Blake screamed at the top of her lungs, stopping the fighting at once. ''We have been throwing around the ingredients for Ruby's cookies! How much do we have left?''

As soon as the redhead's cookies were brought up, the ladies panicked and started to look up how much ingredients they had. Much to their disappointment, they only had enough ingredients for two batches of cookies.

''So... how do we divide this among the six of us?'' Yang asked.

''We split it evenly between our two groups,'' Winter answered. ''Whichever group makes the better cookies, gets Ms. Rose for them for a weekend. Or they can decide between themselves which one of their members gets to spend the weekend with her. Does that sound good?''

All the other women nodded in agreement to the soldier's suggestion and went on to divide the ingredients. Once that was done, both the WBY and the WGC went on to make their cookies for Ruby.

It seemed like this time the women wouldn't be resorting to any dirty tricks in order to sabotage each other. However, Cinder had a plan on how to ruin the work of her opposing team. She suddenly excused herself from her group and went to make a call on her Scroll, before coming back.

As both groups kept working, Cinder was thinking about what her next move would be. She had almost made all the necessary preparations, except for one thing. In order for her plan to succeed, she needed to distract the WBY. The raven-haired woman just couldn't figure out how to do this.

Suddenly, Cinder's wish was granted, like some higher power had listened to her. The distraction for the WBY came in the form of a sudden ruckus that could be heard from outside the kitchen's window. The WBY ran to the window to see what was going on, causing Cinder to smirk.

''Hey. Shouldn't you be concentrating on making your cookies?'' Winter asked the team of younger ladies. Cinder cursed her comrade mentally for possibly ruining her plans. ''What's even going on over there?''

''Ruby's fighting team CRDL!'' Blake answered in an excited and happy voice. ''It seems that they were bullying Velvet again, but she stepped in to defend her!''

''WHAT!? I have to see this!'' the white-haired woman said excitedly and ran up to the window with the other two member of the WGC. Even they wanted to see their beloved redhead in action, despite the fact that some of them shouldn't be thinking like that. Glynda shouldn't have been allowing her students to fight among themselves, and Cinder should have been more focused on her plan. However, all such thoughts were pushed aside for the sake of seeing Ruby beating up a couple of bullies.

While both the WBY and the WGC were busy cheering for their beloved rose, a certain green-haired girl sneaked into the kitchen. Cinder had called her servant, Emerald, to come there and sabotage the work of her enemies. The thief quietly made her way to the cookie dough the WBY had prepared and got ready to fulfill her orders.

''Honestly, why do I even bother anymore?'' Emerald muttered to herself as she dug through her pockets. ''I decided to join Cinder's group in order to conquer the world, not so I could help her chase some stupid brat. What's the point in all of this?''

The green-haired girl found what she was looking for and pulled out a small bottle from her pocket. The bottle had a strange, green liquid inside of it and the picture of a skull on it's side.

''I swear, the things I do out of respect and love...'' Emerald said to herself as she tried to open the bottle. ''She better start noticing MY good points or-''

 **''What do you think you're doing?''** a female voice said behind the thief, dripping with malice and hatred. Emerald slowly turned to look behind her to see Raven standing there, holding her sword and giving her a downright murderous look. **''Those are the cookies of love being made by my daughter! I won't allow you to ruin them and therefore her chance at happiness! You must pay for this with your life!''**

The green-haired girl barely managed to dodge a swing from the raven-haired woman's sword that was aimed for her head. She was soon running away from a very angry mother, who was intent on ending her life.

However, despite the fact that Emerald avoided Raven's attacks, they still did damage. Just not on the thief.

Almost as soon as the green-haired thief had ran out of the kitchen with the murderous mother right behind her, the ladies of the WBY and the WGC started to walk back to where they had been making their cookies. The women were talking happily among themselves about how ''cool'' and ''magnificent'' Ruby had looked when she had been beating up team CRDL, only for all that happiness to disappears as soon as they saw the state the kitchen was in. The whole place looked like a war zone, as Raven had destroyed practically everything while attempting to cut down Emerald. But among all the destruction there was one thing that broke the hearts of both WBY and WGC. The cookie dough they had been making had been ruined, as well.

''Wha-... What happened?'' Yang asked as she was trying her best to hold back her tears. She was currently looking at the ruined cookie dough she and her teammates had made. ''Who could do something this horrible?''

''This is inhuman,'' Cinder said as a sob escaped from her mouth. ''All that work we put our love into. All completely wasted.''

Since all of their ingredients had been used, it seemed like the WBY and the WGC would be forced to give up on their attempts at making cookies for Ruby. However, little did they know that their salvation would soon appear before them.

The women continued to mourn over their losses, when a new person walked into the kitchen. Everyone turned to look towards the entrance to see Pyrrha Nikos standing there while holding ingredients for cookies in her arms.

''Oh. It's you people,'' the amazon said with venom dripping from her voice, as she was still angry at the six ladies for injuring her beloved Jaune earlier that day. ''What are you doing here?''

''We were attempting to make cookies,'' both the WBY and the WGC answered in unison while staring at the redheaded girl with dumbfounded looks on their faces.

''That explains why the place is such a mess,'' Pyrrha said as she went to put her ingredients on a table. ''Hope you can keep your insane mayhem to yourselves for a while. I would like to be able to do my work without any of you ruining it.''

''Just out of curiosity, what exactly are you going to be making?'' Yang asked while eyeing the amazon's ingredients along with the other ladies.

''I'm going to make some cookies with chocolate chips,'' Pyrrha answered. ''I thought that since you people ran over Jaune so badly that he's in the infirmary, I should make something nice for him.''

The members of WBY and WGC looked at each other for a moment, before turning to look at the redhead again. They then suddenly charged at the amazon girl and tackled her to the floor. Pyrrha was then quickly and efficiently tied up and gagged by her attackers, who had decided to take her cookie ingredients for themselves.

''We are terribly sorry about this, Ms. Nikos,'' Glynda apologized as she and Yang carried the captured amazon to a nearby closet. ''It's just that we are in a very desperate situation and have to do this.''

Pyrrha could only let out muffled noises, but it was clear that she was very upset. She obviously didn't care about the blonde teacher's excuse at all.

''Yeah, you know what they say, right?'' Yang asked before she and Glynda threw their captive in the closet and close the door. ''All is fair in love and war!''

With Pyrrha dealt with, the group of six women could go on with making their cookies for their beloved Ruby. Since they would only be able to make one batch of cookies, they decided to present them to Ruby as gift from all of them. They would all be satisfied this time with simply learning how to make the sweet treats and being able to make their favorite redhead happy.

With everyone in agreement over working together for now, the group of six ladies were able to progress very well in making the cookies. However, they would soon be distracted from their work by a certain hyperactive girl from team JNPR.

''HELLO EVERYBODY!'' Nora yelled at the top of her lungs as she ran into the kitchen, scaring everyone in the room. ''What are you all doing here!?''

''Uhhh... Nothing!'' Yang quickly lied, knowing how fond the ginger was of sweets. The brawler did her best to hide their cookie dough behind her along with the other five ladies, hoping to keep it out of Nora's sight. ''Just... Cleaning! That's right! We are here to clean this place! And nothing else!''

''Cleaning?'' the hammer-wielder asked.

''Yes. Cleaning,'' Blake said. ''You know that boring thing, where you get rid of all the dirt and trash? That boring thing.''

''Man, that sounds LAME!'' Nora said like a spoiled child. ''I was hoping that you guys would be cooking something yummy and that I could get a taste of it or something!''

''Oh, trust us. Nothing yummy here,'' Weiss nervously lied as she and the other ladies did their best to hide the cookie dough. ''Anyways, did you come here just for something tasty or did you need something else?''

''Oh! I did have a reason to be here! It's just that the thought of sugary sweets made me forget about it! How crazy is that, am I right!?'' the ginger explained while the others could only wonder how bad the girl's memory was. ''Anyways, I'm looking for Pyrrha. Has any of you guys seen her?''

The six ladies' faces went pale upon hearing the amazon's name. They needed to find a way to send Nora away and fast.

''W-W-Why would you be looking for Ms. Nikos, Ms. Valkyrie?'' Glynda asked nervously, praying that the ginger wouldn't find out what happened to her teammate. Not right now, at the very least.

''Ren said that we should all go together to see Jaune at the infirmary. He said that it would probably cheer him up pretty well,'' Nora explained. ''So, any of you guys seen her?''

''Now that you mention it! I think I saw her heading to the OPPOSITE DIRECTION from here!'' Yang quickly said. ''Yes, I'm certain that I saw Pyrrha going to the EXACT OPPOSITE DIRECTION! You should absolutely go THERE and NOT HERE!''

''Okey-dokey! I'll go look for-!'' the hammer-wielder began to say, but suddenly stopped. She was sniffing the air, like a dog.

''Nora? Is something wrong?'' Weiss asked, worried over what the ginger might be smelling.

''I smell something sweet,'' Nora answered, causing both the WBY and WGC to turn pale. ''There is something sweet and tasty here. I want it.''

''NO! There is DEFINITELY nothing sweet over here, so you can just-!'' Winter tried to lie but was quickly cut off.

''LIES! I CAN SMELL THE SWEET SUGAR IN THE AIR! YOU HAVE LIED TO ME!'' the hyperactive girl yelled angrily. ''FOR THE LIES YOU HAVE TOLD ME I DEMAND THAT YOU LET ME TASTE WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE HIDING! I WON'T BE SATISFIED OTHERWISE!''

The six ladies were backed into a corner, where they couldn't find a way out. It was clear that Nora wasn't going to believe anymore lies from them, so they couldn't fool her anymore. However, they couldn't just let the ginger have a ''taste'' of their cookie dough. It was clear to anyone that her idea of taste would end with the whole bowl empty, leaving nothing for the one they truly wanted to make the cookies for. They could have tried to physically restrain Nora, but the aura the crazed girl was giving at the moment was quite honestly terrifying them all. None of them dared to attack her at all.

In the end, there was only one way out of this whole situation. That was bargaining.

''Nora, we can't really give you what we have here, but I'm pretty sure that we can offer an alternative,'' Weiss said, causing the hammer-wielder to turn angrier, scaring the six ladies. ''H-How about we buy you the biggest pile of pancakes instead!?''

''...Pancakes?'' Nora asked.

''Yeah! I'm sure the cafeteria has them!'' Yang said, hoping to help convince the ginger to take the deal. ''I'm sure you would enjoy them a lot more than what we have here!''

''How many pancakes do I get?''

The question brought an uneasy silence to the kitchen as the members of both the WBY and the WGC looked at each other awkwardly. They all had realized a flaw in their plan.

''How much money do you guys have?'' Yang whispered to the other ladies while digging through her own pockets. ''I'm afraid that I don't have much. I haven't got much left from my allowance.''

''Same thing here, I'm afraid,'' Weiss answered. ''I've been spending a bit too much recently.''

''I don't have much either,'' Blake said before looking at the WGC. ''How about you? Any of you got any money?''

''I've used up most of my paycheck and I haven't gotten my next one yet,'' Winter said while looking at her wallet.

''Same here. If there's one thing Ozpin is bad at, it's remembering to pay us in time,'' Glynda muttered.

''I have... also been spending. A lot,'' Cinder stated, thinking about all the stuff she had bought to help her new gaming addiction.

The six ladies took out all the money they had and were relieved to see that they all had just enough to buy Nora her pancakes. They decided to all go with the ginger, so that they could make sure nothing went wrong and they could get rid of her.

Unfortunately, this meant that they left their cookie dough unguarded, which would soon prove to be a big mistake.

Soon after the six ladies left the kitchen with Nora, Emerald came back to the room. The thief was breathing very heavily and panting, having just been running for her life from a very angry Raven. She had managed to get away from the sword-wielding mom, but it had taken a lot of effort and stamina from her. Right now, Emerald just wanted to finish the job Cinder had given her, so that she could be done with the whole thing.

''Holy crap... Who... was that... psycho!?'' the green-haired girl said to herself while panting. There had been many moments where Raven's sword had almost hit her, and she was hoping that she wouldn't have to go through anything like that again in her life. ''I swear... I don't... get paid... enough... for this... shit!''

Emerald swayed from exhaustion as she made her way to the bowl of cookie dough, hoping to end her mission. Once she had made her way to the sweet dough, she pulled out the small bottle again and poured all of it's contents into the bowl.

With her job done, the thief started to make her way back to her dorm, never realizing the error she had made.

* * *

It didn't take long for the WBY and WGC to finish their cookies for Ruby, and they were soon presenting their treats for the young team leader. Ruby's eyes were practically glistening from the sight of freshly baked cookies just for her.

''Are you serious!?'' the redhead asked excitedly. ''These are all for me!?''

''Sure thing, Rubes!'' Yang answered with a big grin. ''You have been such a great team leader and have treated us all so well that we decided you deserved a little prize! So we made these for you!''

''Go ahead! Hope you like them!'' Winter said happily as she held up the tray of cookies for Ruby.

The scythe-wielder happily took one of the sugary treats and put it in her mouth. Her smile immediately went bigger from the sheer delight that came from the taste. It looked like she had just tasted heaven itself.

''Mmmm! These are really good!'' Ruby exclaimed in pleasure, making the six ladies extremely happy. ''There's a nice extra taste there, as well! What is that?''

''Extra taste?'' Weiss asked. She looked at the others and saw that they were just as confused. ''These were supposed to be normal chocolate chip cookies.''

''Really? That's weird, because I can taste something-''

''OH MY GOD, RUBY! ARE YOU OKAY!?'' Blake suddenly yelled out of horror, cutting off the redhead. Weiss, Yang and the WGC also noticed that something was terribly wrong and became very horrified.

''What are you-?'' Ruby began to ask, but noticed something. Her nose had suddenly started to bleed. A lot. ''Huh? What's going-?''

Before the young team leader could finish her question, she suddenly threw up blood and fell to the floor.

''RUBY!'' the WBY and WGC screamed in terror over seeing the girl they loved in such a state.

* * *

Some time later, Mercury walked into the dorm room he shared with Cinder and Emerald. As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Emerald laying on her bed while looking like she had just escaped from hell itself. The gray-haired boy couldn't help but be curious over what had happened to his partner.

''What happened to you?'' Mercury asked the thief. ''You look like you've been through a war or something.''

''Worse,'' Emerald answered. ''I had to help Cinder with her attempts at wooing that stupid, redheaded brat of hers again. I just can't understand what she sees in her!''

''Well, they say love is blind, you know?'' the kicker said as he went to sit on his bed. ''Besides, are you really one to judge, when you're admiring someone who is clearly interested in another person? Especially when that interest goes way beyond sanity?''

''Shut up!'' the green-haired girl grumbled. ''Anyways, I think I have finally put an end to this nonsense.''

''Oh? And how did you do that?''

''It's simple. Cinder was apparently in some sort of a cooking competition against the teammates of that brat, so she asked me to come and ruin the cookies they were making by adding something into the dough. So I decided to go and straight up poison the dough, so that damn brat will probably die from the first bite!''

Silence fell over the room, as Mercury stared at Emerald with wide eyes full of shock. While the thief was smirking at what she had accomplished, the gray-haired boy knew that things wouldn't go as well as she thought they would.

''Ummm... Em? You do realize that you've just made the biggest mistake of your life?'' Mercury asked.

''Huh? What do you mean by that?'' Emerald asked in an annoyed voice.

''Well, you do know how... obsessed Cinder is with that Ruby girl, right?''

''Yeah, so?''

''And that Cinder was the one who asked you to go and ruin that cookie dough, correct?''

''Okay, where are you going with this?''

''Well, once Ruby starts to experience the effects from that poison, what do you think Cinder is going to think? Don't you think that when Ruby gets poisoned, she's going to figure out that it was because of you?''

''Uhhhh... That's a... possibility...''

''And once she figures that out, what do you think she's going to do to you? Remember, she is VERY obsessed with that girl.''

''...I have made a terrible mistake,'' Emerald said with wide eyes, realizing her error.

 **''EMERALD!''** Cinder's voice could be heard screaming in fury near the dorm the two villains were currently in, causing both to turn pale from horror. **''I HAVE COME FOR YOUR HEAD!''**

Upon hearing the downright demonic voice of the raven-haired woman, Emerald did the only thing she could. She jumped through the window in an effort to escape the wrath of her master. Even Mercury hid under his bed in fear, even though he wasn't the target of Cinder's fury.

Almost as soon as Emerald had jumped through the window, the door to the dorm was blown up by a fireball from a certain very angry villainess. Cinder's face was twisted into one of pure fury and her body was surrounded by an aura of flames, burning everything around her. She stomped her way to the window, intent on chasing the one who had dared anger her.

 **''YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME! I'LL CHASE YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD!'** Cinder roared as she destroyed the wall with the window and chased after Emerald.

Once the furious raven-haired woman had left, Mercury slowly crawled out from under his bed.

''Note to self. Never harm Ruby Rose in any way,'' the gray-haired boy mumbled to himself.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This was a chapter that I had decided to do for a long time. I'm pretty sure that even back when I started this story, I always knew that there would be a cooking contest chapter. However, it took me a while to get to it, since I always felt like I needed to do some of the other chapters first.**

 **By the way, before anyone asks, Ruby is NOT DEAD. There wouldn't be much of a point to continue this story if she were to die now, after all.**

 **Anyways, with this chapter done, I'll be moving to the final chapters of this story. The next chapters will all be part of the finale for this story, so I'll essentially be working on this story's ending now. While I'm not certain of how many chapters it will be, I'm currently thinking it will be three chapters. Maybe more or maybe less. I have to work on them first to know.**

 **Also, some of you seemed to misinterpret the author's notes of my last chapter. When I talked about characters that were confirmed gay, I was talking about this story, as in War for Ruby. Those characters being the members of team RWBY, Winter, Glynda, Cinder, Emerald and Dove. I wasn't talking about the actual canon of RWBY, where Ilia is the only confirmed gay character. I just wanted to quickly correct this misinterpretation.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	39. Unexpected Help

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 39: Unexpected Help**

It was another day at Beacon, where everything seemed to be fine. The students were learning more about being a Huntsman, Port was telling his exaggerated stories, Oobleck was rambling at high speed and Ozpin was being his cryptic self.

However, not everything was fine as it should be. In fact, there was a rather nasty argument going on between certain six people, with a certain redhead caught in the middle of it.

''Ruby, you want to go with me to the theater, right!?'' Weiss asked her partner in an excited voice while pulling the girl closer towards her. ''Tell these others that today you're going with me!''

''Fat chance, sister!'' Winter said with a snarl and took the young team leader from her younger sibling, causing said girl to get very angry. ''Ms. Rose here is coming with me to do some sparring! I'm sure that she would love to learn from an experienced fighter like me a thing or two! Something you can't possibly give her!''

''Actually, Ruby's coming with me!'' Blake said and took Ruby away from Winter. ''She loves good books like I do, so I'll be taking her to a new bookstore to see what they have to offer!''

''Not happening, kitty!'' Cinder yelled and pulled the redhead towards herself. ''I just recently found a great arcade in the city that I'm taking her to! There's even a game store next to it, so we can find out more stuff to help our gaming needs!''

''Go help your needs yourself, lady! Because I'm taking Ruby out today!'' Yang shouted and grabbed the younger girl from the villainess. ''The amusement park just got a new roller coaster that I'm sure Rubes would love to try! Not to mention all the other fun rides she would like to experience with me!''

''Well, I think that Ms. Rose would like to have a more calm and quiet day today!'' Glynda said as she took Ruby from the blonde girl. ''I recently heard about this great cafe with all sorts of great treats that I'm certain Ms. Rose would like to try out with me!''

While the six ladies were busy arguing with each other and trying to take Ruby for themselves, the redhead herself was starting to shake with rage. Even if she didn't know why the six ladies were fighting, she did know that they were often fighting among each other. After all, she was almost always in the middle of their fights. However, her limit for tolerating the constant arguing was starting to fill up and fast. It wasn't bad enough the the WBY and WGC's constant bickering gave her a headache, but it often resulted in collateral damage, like herself.

''ENOUGH!'' Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs, shocking everyone around her. ''I have had it with you six! Why is it that every damn time any of you get together a fight has to break out!? Do you have any idea how infuriating it is!? That I can't have more than one of you at the same place without a war breaking out!? I know that we all can't get along, but the way you six are acting is on a whole new level!''

The six ladies were huddled together, staring at the furious team leader with wide eyes. The sight of Ruby so angry was downright terrifying to them.

''N-Now now, Ruby. P-P-Please calm down,'' Weiss pleaded in a scared tone.

''Y-Yeah, Rubes!'' Yang said, equally scared as the heiress. ''I know things got a little heated between us, but-''

''A little heated!? A LITTLE HEATED!?'' Ruby angrily screamed, further scaring the six who had angered her. ''That has got to be the understatement of the century! Every time this starts between you guys, you turn the surrounding area into a battleground! How is it not possible for you six to act civil with each other!? Why is it that you have to have this feud between yourselves all the damn time!? And to top it all off, you end up hurting and almost killing people around you! INCLUDING ME!''

''P-Please, Ruby, if this is about those cookies, I assure you-'' Cinder said in an attempt at calming down the enraged redhead, but was quickly cut off.

''THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT THOSE DAMN COOKIES! THIS IS ABOUT ALL THE DAMAGE YOU SIX CAUSE! ALTHOUGH THOSE COOKIES ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE!'' Ruby yelled. ''I swear, if you don't put a stop to this crap soon, I'm going to go to Ozpin and ask him to send me to the farthest school away from here, JUST SO I DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE!''

''Ms. Rose, you can't be serious!'' Glynda cried out, scared of the thought of the redhead leaving.

''Oh, believe me, I am dead serious! I have just about had it with you six!'' Ruby shouted. ''Now, I'm going to go to Vale and I don't want to see ANY of you, understood!? If I see even one of you, I swear to god that I will make you regret ever being born!''

With her ranting and threat out of the way, the raging scythe-wielder walked away from the group of six women, hoping to get some time alone for once. The WBY and WGC could only stare at Ruby's back as she walked towards the school's exit.

''Well... that didn't go well,'' Blake said once her team leader had disappeared from sight. ''I guess this means that no one gets to be with Ruby today, huh?''

''Exactly,'' Winter said before turning to glare at the other five ladies. ''And it's all YOUR fault that she got angry!''

''How dare you!?'' Yang yelled angrily at the soldier. ''I was the one who got here first to talk to her, so it's-!''

Before another argument could break out, there was a loud sound of someone clearing their throat, causing the six ladies to look to where the sound came from. There they found Ozpin standing there, holding his cane and looking very displeased.

''Before you all start another fight, might I ask you to do it somewhere else?'' the headmaster asked while glaring at the group of six. ''I am not going to tell you to let this whole thing be, as I'm sure we are already way past that, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would settle this somewhere else. Repairing the damages you six cause is not exactly cheap.''

The members of the WBY and WGC turned to look at each other. Each member was glaring at their competition and was ready for a fight, but wouldn't move. None of them wanted to draw anymore anger towards them after the rant from Ruby.

''Let's settle this. Once and for all,'' Weiss suggested. ''Let's head to the Emerald Forest and finally put and end to this.''

''Agreed!'' the other five said in unison and soon the group was heading to the forest, intent on deciding who finally gets Ruby for themselves.

* * *

A little while later, the group of six ladies was standing in a clearing in the Emerald Forest. Each one had their weapons at the ready and was staring down their opponents. It had been decided among them that they would finally end their rivalry over their beloved rose through a contest of strength. The rules were simple. It was a battle royal between the six of them and the last one standing would be allowed to pursue Ruby free of all the rivals.

The ladies were standing at the edges of the clearing, glancing at each other while waiting for someone to make the first move. The tension in the air was thick and the place was completely silent, as all of the wildlife had ran away in fear of what was to come.

The silence lasted for a while until Yang finally made the first move. With what could only be described as a feral battle cry, she charged towards the middle of the clearing with her gauntlets at the ready. As soon as she started screaming, the other combatants soon followed and charged towards the middle as well. All of the fighters faced each other at the middle at the same time, where the battle finally begun.

Blows were traded, Dust was thrown around and Semblances were used to their full effect as the battle raged. After what felt like an eternity of hell on earth, it was finally over and the silence had returned.

However, there was one problem. Not a single one of the combatants had been left standing. Each of the six fighters had exhausted all of their strength during the fight, rendering all of them completely worn out and tired. No one was able to stand, much less continue the fight. The only thing any of them could do was lay down on the ground while breathing very hard.

''I... I will... win...'' Yang managed to say while panting and struggling to stand up. ''I won't... let anyone... have... Ruby!''

''You won't... win!'' Glynda said in response to the blonde girl, struggling as much as she was. ''I can't... lose Ruby... to you!''

''Don't forget about us!'' Weiss said while barely able to move her arms. The other ladies also voiced their opinions on how they would win.

But despite all the bravado all the six ladies were showing, no one was getting up. They were all too exhausted to actually do anything.

After about an hour of laying on the ground, the six ladies were able to move. However, no one continued the fight or even stood up. The only thing they could do was crawl over to the trees at the edge of the clearing they were at and sit against them. The ladies sat in silence for a while, before Weiss spoke up.

''Why do any of you want Ruby anyway?'' the heiress asked, getting everyone's attention. ''Why do you all have to ruin my advances on her? Why can't you let me have any happiness?''

''Like you're one to talk,'' Blake growled at her teammate. ''Ruby is my ticket to happiness and not for you. Yet here you are, taking it away from me.''

''As if either of you are really worthy of her!'' Yang yelled angrily. ''Unlike the two of you, I've actually been with her through her whole life. I've protected her, helped her and been there for her whenever she would need someone! How do any of you think that you deserve Ruby more than me!?''

''Well, I think I'm quite worthy of her myself!'' Winter stated. ''Besides, I have finally found someone to truly share my life with, so you can forget about me backing out!''

''I doubt any of you need Ruby as much as I do,'' Glynda said in an angry yet also slightly sad tone. ''Ms. Rose is someone that can finally give me something I have wanted pretty much all my life and I would rather die than lose it.''

''I'm not backing out either!'' Cinder yelled. ''If any of you think that you can make me give up on Ruby, you've got another thing coming!''

After each woman had made their declaration of not backing down, silence fell over the group once again. Everyone just sat on the ground, glaring at each other and thinking of what they would do to their opponents. It took some time but the anger managed to tone down quite a bit. All of the ladies were just too worn out and tired to really do anything, so they could only calm down and try to regain their strength.

''So, why do you guys like Ruby in the first place?'' Winter suddenly asked, breaking the silence and getting everyone else to look at her. ''What? We are all after the same girl, so I think it's only fair for all of us to know our reasons for it.''

Everyone looked down in thought as they processed what the white-haired woman had said. It took some time, but eventually they all had their answers.

''Ruby is someone who sees me for who I am and not for what I am,'' Weiss answered. ''Before I met her, I had never met anyone who didn't simply see me as a Schnee, a person you should either avoid completely or get close to for the sake of money. However, Ruby doesn't see me like that. She sees me as Weiss, her partner and friend. I doubt there are many people out there who can do that.''

''I'm also the same, except Ruby also helps me and supports me in my times of need,'' Blake said. ''Not only is Ruby able to see past my faunus heritage, but she is more than willing to help me, even when I'm the one causing trouble. She sees me as someone important enough to assist, no matter what. She is willing to risk it all not only for my sake, but for others as well. I want to repay her kindness, for that's what she deserves.''

''Rubes has been part of my life for almost as long as I have lived, and I don't want to change that,'' Yang answered. ''When we were growing up together, Ruby became more to me than just my sister. She became my best friend and most trusted person, too. And now she is even more than that, as my leader and the one I love. The two of us can trust one another with just about anything and are willing to do anything for each other. I just... I just can't imagine a life without her.''

''Well, I certainly feel the same way about Ms. Rose as my sister does,'' Winter said. ''Not only am I part of the Schnee family, but I'm also a high-ranking officer in the Atlesian military. This has practically created an aura of fear around me, making it so that no one is able to really approach me. Before I met Ms. Rose, my closest relationships were those of family or those with comrades, which were basically friendly co-workers. However, Ms. Rose is not only brave enough to get close to me, she's able to see past my titles and see me for who I am, and bring warmth to my life. That's why I want to keep her next to me.''

''When I'm around Ms. Rose, I feel like I can be myself,'' Glynda answered. ''Since I'm one of the teachers at Beacon, I have to act in a certain way. I am always expected to be an example to those around me, especially since I'm Ozpin's closest assistant. But when I'm around Ms. Rose, I can ease up and be myself. She doesn't expect me to be something that everyone else wants me to be, she just wants me to be myself. No one else really gives me a chance for that.''

''I personally love Ruby because... because she brings out the good in me,'' Cinder said. ''My life is... complicated, to say the least. And I have made my fair share of bad decisions. However, being around Ruby makes me want to try harder, to be a better person than I am. I want to be better for her sake, so that she can look at me with eyes full of pride.''

After each ladies' confessions, silence fell over the clearing. Everyone was thinking about what had just been said, about how much Ruby meant to each and every one of them. It was obvious that no one in the group would be willing to back down from pursuing the redhead, no matter what the opposition was.

''So what do we do now?'' Yang asked. ''Are we going to get ready for a round two or are we going to go back to doing what we have been doing all this time? Despite the fact that Ruby is tired of it?''

Before anyone could suggest anything, the sound of clapping was suddenly heard. The six ladies turned to look where the sound was coming from to find a man standing close by, looking at them. The man was dressed up in plain, white clothes, which consisted of a vest over a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers. His hair was also white and it was very short, with the exception of a small part of it standing upwards just above his forehead in the middle.

''Wow. I have to say that those confessions of yours truly moved me,'' the man said with a smile on his face. ''It seems like you're all going to be taking your first step to truly understanding and respecting each other. Such a beautiful sight.''

''Huh? Just who the heck are you?'' Weiss asked, confused by this new and mysterious person.

''Oh, I have many names. But rest assured that you don't need to worry about me,'' the white-clad stranger answered. ''I'm just someone who has been watching all of you for a long time now.''

''What the-!? What is that supposed to mean!?'' Cinder asked angrily as she stood up, readying herself for a fight.

''Hey, now. No need to be like that. Like I said, there's no need to worry about me at all. I'm just a kind observer, who would like to offer some help to you all,'' the man explained.

''Yeah, like we need the help of some creep that has been stalking us!'' Yang yelled angrily. ''How about you get lost, you goddamn freak!?''

''First of all, mind your language, young lady! You won't be getting married to anyone while using nasty words like that!'' the white-clad stranger said in a stern voice, angering the blonde further. ''And by help, I mean that I have something that you all might not only want to see, but also need to see. It's something that is certain to put an end to your fight over one girl and set you all on the right course.''

''Why would you want to do that?'' Blake asked. ''As far as I know, we are complete strangers to you. Why would you want to help us at all?''

''Like I said, I've been observing you all for quite some time now. I've seen how you all compete over that one girl and it has been quite hilarious, to say the least. However, it's been going on for some time now and I feel like it's time to put a stop to it. While it used to be fun, I feel like that amusement I once had from watching your antics has been steadily washing away, so this should be just as good of a place as any to put a stop to it and reach the finish line,'' the man explained.

For a moment, the six ladies could only stare at the stranger with wide eyes, completely confused by what he had just said. The explanation they just heard was so strange that they could not figure out what he was talking about.

''...For the love of god, what kind of drugs are you on!?'' Yang asked angrily. ''What the hell was all that nonsense you just said!?''

''Hey! Language, young lady!'' the stranger scolded the blonde girl. ''And what I mean by what I just said is that I have had fun watching you six compete for Ruby's affections, I'm starting to get kind of tired of it now. Not only me, but Ruby herself, as well. That's why I'm going to help you all out, so we can finally end this little rivalry of yours.''

''And how exactly are you supposed to do that?'' Blake asked, doubting that the man could do what he said.

''That's simple! I'll just do a little spell...'' the stranger explained as his hands started to glow. Suddenly, the six ladies were engulfed by a strange light before they disappeared without a trace. ''...and now the real work starts!'''

* * *

Back with the WBY and the WGC, the six women found themselves in the middle of the city of Vale. At first, they weren't all that panicked, since the place they had arrived at was familiar to them. However, upon a closer look, the ladies soon found themselves confused, as there were many differences to the city from what they remembered. A lot of the buildings and other things in the city had been changed, and there were also many new buildings, too.

''What the...? Are we in Vale?'' Weiss asked. ''This doesn't look like the way I remember it.''

''Yeah. There wasn't an Atlesian restaurant here before,'' Glynda pointed out. ''I also don't remember that arcade being built there.''

Upon the teacher mentioning the arcade, Cinder's eyes lit up and she started to make her way towards. However, she was quickly stopped by Winter, who pulled her from the back of her dress, much to the raven-haired woman's displeasure.

 _''So, I take it that you all have realized that you are not in the Vale that you are all familiar with?''_ a sudden voice said inside the heads of the six ladies, which they recognized as the man they had met earlier. _''Care to take a guess where you really are?''_

''Stop playing games with us already!'' Yang yelled angrily. ''Where are we and what did you just do!?''

 _''Oh, I just used a spell to show you something that I'm sure you'll find quite interesting,''_ the stranger explained. _''As to where you are, you should realize by now that you're in the city of Vale. But the big question is not WHERE, it's WHEN.''_

''What do you mean by that?'' Glynda asked.

 _''You are currently in a different time of your world. In other words, you are in the future,''_ the man answered, shocking everyone. _''This is the future you are currently heading towards.''_

''That's quite a statement from you. Can you prove this to us?'' Winter asked as she tried to hide the nervousness in her voice.

 _''Certainly. There's a movie theater to your left. Go over there and see what they are currently showing. Trust me on this. It will take away all of your disbelief.''_

The six ladies did as they were told and walked up to the theater. As soon as they got close enough to see the posters that showed what they were playing in there, the women went wide-eyed immediately. While most of the posters didn't have anything all that special on them, there was one that stood out. It was a poster for a movie that was about Ruby and them. In the picture, the young team leader was standing with her scythe drawn out, ready for battle, with the WBY and the WGC standing behind her, also ready to fight.

''W-What the...? What is this?'' Weiss asked, unable to believe her eyes.

''Is that... Is that us?'' Blake asked, trying her hardest to comprehend what she was seeing.

 _''It's just as you see. Certain events led to you all becoming heroes in this world. Events that I'm certain ONE OF YOU is very familiar with,''_ the stranger explained, causing the ladies to look at each other in confusion, except for Cinder, who was trying her best to not look suspicious by whistling an innocent tune. _''But that is not why we are here. The reason I brought you here is because of what has happened with Ruby Rose.''_

''WHAT!?'' Yang yelled, panicking over something bad possibly happening to the redhead. The others were just as panicked as she was. ''Is she hurt or something!? Can you take us to her to help her!?''

 _''Calm yourselves. She isn't any real danger,''_ the man explained, which allowed the ladies to calm down a bit. _''However, all is not well with her, but we are going to see her last. For now, I need to show you something different.''_

''What could possibly be more important than making sure that Ms. Rose is safe!?'' Glynda asked with frustration and anger in her voice.

 _''Trust me. You will understand in due time,''_ the stranger answered. _''However, could one of you go and bring Ms. Fall back to the group?''_

The other women were at first confused by the request, but soon found said villainess walking towards an arcade. Winter immediately stomped after her angrily and dragged her back, much to Cinder's displeasure.

''I just wanted to see what new games they have here!'' the raven-haired woman whined. ''Is that so wrong!?''

''YES!'' Winter answered angrily.

* * *

Once the group was back together, there was a sudden flash of light that surrounded them like before they had arrived in the future. Once the light disappeared, they found themselves inside what seemed like a mansion.

''Huh? What's this place?'' Yang asked as she was looking around. ''A haunted mansion or something?''

''No idea,'' Glynda said. ''Anybody got any ideas as to where we are?''

''We know,'' Winter answered, causing most of the group to turn and look at her. They saw that the soldier and Weiss were both standing still, looking at their surroundings with wide eyes. ''The two of us know exactly what this place is. Don't we, Weiss?''

''Yeah. There is no mistaking this place,'' the younger Schnee sister said. ''This is our family home, the Schnee mansion.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: This is essentially the first part of the ''final chapters'' to this story. It was going to be longer at first, but I decided to cut it a bit shorter since it would have otherwise been huge.**

 **The idea at first was that the WBY and WGC would meet a fortune teller, who would send them to the future after getting irritated by their arguing. However, I felt like that would have been a bit too cliche, so I changed it. The person that sends them to the future is from the actual canon, but I'm not going to reveal who it is. I want to see if anyone can guess who he is supposed to be.**

 **Anyways, I'll be focusing on this story for now, so I can finally finish it. Hope you guys stick around until the end.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	40. Future Selves (Part 1)

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 40: Future Selves (Part 1)**

The group of six was slowly walking around the Schnee mansion they had just been transported to. The building was truly something only a noble could have, as all of the decorations and furniture they saw were high-class and expensive. There were also very high-quality paintings on the walls, depicting either big events in the history of Remnant or what seemed to be members of the Schnee family.

''Man, this place is practically made of money,'' Yang said as she looked at some of the paintings. ''I'm pretty sure that one of these costs more than what an ordinary Huntsman earns in their whole lifetime.''

''Well, what would you expect?'' Weiss asked while letting out an aura of pride. ''After all, this is MY home, so one should only expect the best to be seen here.''

''Yeah, bought by money made from shady deals and mistreatment of your workers,'' Blake said with a roll of her eyes, angering the heiress.

''My sister's pompousness aside, this clearly is our home,'' Winter said while looking at her surroundings. ''However, something's not right here.''

''What do you mean by that?'' Glynda asked.

''This place is not like I remember it at all. While these walls used to have paintings on them, there were nowhere near this amount of them before. It's almost like someone went on an art shopping spree. I also haven't seen any pictures of our father at all, which there used to be a lot,'' the soldier explained.

''Your dad had pictures of himself decorating the walls?'' Yang asked. ''How bad is that guy's ego?''

''Imagine a Weiss whose arrogance is a hundred times worse. That's only the tip of the iceberg,'' Winter answered.

''HEY!'' Weiss yelled, not liking the way her sister was talking about her.

''Oh, stop that, Weiss! You know it's true!'' the white-haired woman said.

''Winter, you do remember that we are in the future, right?'' Cinder asked. ''I'm pretty sure that with such a long time having passed by, you should expect there to be some changes. And I'm certain that a simple change in decoration is one that you should expect at least.''

''I know that, but this still feels a bit odd. I mean, while neither Weiss or I have all that many positive feelings when it comes to our father, I would have expected at least one picture of him to remain. He might be a dislikable person, to say the least, but he still did raise us and provide us with a lot that we should be thankful for. I doubt that either one of us could ever truly even try to wipe away the memory of him like this, even if we wanted to,'' Winter explained. ''I mean, I can't even find our family portrait anywhere.''

While everyone was thinking about the soldier's words, Yang noticed someone walking towards them. It was a young maid most likely hired by the Schnee family to help around the mansion.

''If it's such a bother, we should ask about it,'' the brawler said and walked towards the maid. ''Hey! Can I ask you something?''

The maid didn't respond in any way to Yang's question. In fact, she acted like she didn't even notice her and just kept walking. The blonde girl was about to get angry and start yelling, but that was stopped by the maid suddenly walking trough her like she was air. Yang and the others could only stare with wide eyes as this happened, and the maid continued on her way and eventually disappeared from their sights.

''W-What the hell!?'' Yang yelled out of shock with a pale face. ''Was that a freaking ghost or something!?''

''More like you were the ghost!'' Blake said with wide, scared eyes. ''Did you see how she just walked right through you!?''

 _''I see that you all have just learned how others see you here,''_ the stranger's voice could be heard by the six ladies. _''It's always fun to see how people react to it.''_

''What's the meaning of this!?'' Cinder yelled angrily. ''Why can't we be seen, heard or even touched by anyone!?''

 _''That's simple. I don't want any of you to interfere with this world. Right now, I just want you to be just observers. At least, for now,''_ the man explained.

''What is that supposed to mean?'' Weiss asked, having caught the last part of the white-clad strangers answer.

 _''All will be revealed in time. For now, however, I think you all should head to the main office. I'm certain that you will find it an interesting experience, to say the least.''_

The six ladies looked at each other, wondering if anyone had any better ideas for their current situation. Since no one said anything, they all simply headed towards the office, like the stranger had instructed them to do. It didn't take them long to reach the room, as they had both Weiss and Winter to guide the group. Soon after finding the place, the group discovered another neat ability they had. Not only were they pretty much non-existent to the people in this timeline, but they could also walk through solid objects, such as doors and walls, making it easy to go where they wanted.

Once they entered the office, they were treated to the sight of a white-haired woman sitting behind a desk while going through documents. The desk had a small mountain of papers on it, telling the group that this woman was either going through tough times or was a big time workaholic. Besides the papers, there were all sorts of office equipment on the desk, along with an empty bottle of high-quality wine and a glass.

At first, the group was unable to recognize the person behind the desk, but as they took in her appearance, they were able to figure out her identity. The woman's long, white hair and icy blue eyes quickly narrowed down the possibilities as to who she was, but the one thing that truly told them her identity was the scar over her left eye. This was Weiss Schnee in the future.

''Is that... Is that me?'' Weiss asked with wide eyes. ''As the head of the SDC?''

''Well, unless Whitley suddenly had a sex change in the future, I doubt that could be anybody else other than you,'' Winter said.

 _''You are correct,''_ came the stranger's voice again. _''The person behind the desk is indeed Ms. Weiss Schnee herself. After you graduated from Beacon, you took over the SDC and began working on making your dreams a reality. Thanks to your hard work, the company's reputation has changed drastically, along with the treatment of faunus workers all around the world.''_

''Wow... I can't believe that I am currently looking at the realization of all my dreams and aspirations,'' Weiss said with awe. However, she then noticed something was wrong. ''Why does it seem that I am unhappy, though?''

 _''That is because you are unhappy,''_ the man answered. _''Just watch and you'll see.''_

As soon as the stranger said that, a maid entered the office, carrying a full bottle of wine in her hands. At the sound of the door opening, the future Weiss looked up from her work at the servant.

''Madam, here's the new bottle you asked,'' the maid said while holding up the wine for her employer to see.

''Thank you, Alice,'' future Weiss said in a cold monotone, devoid of any feelings. ''Put it on the table and you can leave to perform your other duties.''

The maid did as she was told and placed the wine on the desk. She also took the empty bottle with her and started to make her way out of the office. However, before she left, she stopped at the door and turned to the white-haired woman.

''Madam, I know it's not really my place to say this, but... shouldn't you take a break?'' Alice asked cautiously. ''You've been in this office for hours, doing nothing but work. That can't be good for you. Especially when you do it on a daily basis.''

''You got one thing right there, it's not your place to say that,'' future Weiss said in the same monotone voice she had used earlier. She didn't look up from her papers when she said it. ''And you don't need to worry about me, as that is not what I pay you for. You just need to do your work and that's it.''

''With all due respect, madam, I cannot just ignore your self-destructive behavior,'' the maid said in a slightly stronger voice. ''The head butler Klein asked me to-''

Before Alice could finish her sentence, future Weiss threw her glass at her. While it missed it's target, it did hit the door next to the maid, shattering into pieces and scaring her.

''DON'T YOU DARE SAY HIS NAME TO ME!'' the white-haired woman from the future screamed in pure rage. ''You have no idea how much he meant to me, and I'll be damned before I let some damn harpy who only pretends to care about me to use his name to lecture me! You only care about the money you get from me, so take your paychecks and LEAVE ME ALONE!''

Alice quickly ran out of the room, afraid of angering her employer any further. Once she had left, future Weiss took the new bottle of wine and opened it. She took a big gulp from the bottle, before slumping down on her desk and beginning to cry.

The WBY and the WGC could only stare at the crying woman with wide eyes. While they were expecting the Weiss of the future to not be in the most pleasant of moods, none of them had expected this. To see that one of them had been reduced to a miserable mess like this was something none of them had ever imagined.

''W-What's wrong with me?'' Weiss asked as she continued to stare at her future self. ''What happened to make me into this?''

 _''The answer to that is simple. Your heart was broken,''_ the stranger explained. _''You weren't able to get the one person you truly loved, which left a huge hole in your heart. Because of that, you started to drown yourself in your work, hoping to someway fill that hole. However, when that didn't work, you added wine to the mix, as well.''_

''That person you mentioned... that was Ruby, wasn't it?'' the heiress asked. Even when the man didn't answer, she knew that she had guessed correctly. ''But how did I get this bad? And what happened to Klein?''

 _''Ruby was the only person in your life that you could fully trust. No matter what she did, you always knew that she saw you as more than a Schnee. When you got rejected, all of your distrust towards others came back stronger than ever. No matter who tried to get closer to you, you always saw them as parasites who were only after your fortune and family name. As you pushed those around you away, including your own family, Klein was the only one who could remain by your side to ease your pain. Unfortunately, he put so much effort in looking after you that he neglected himself, which eventually killed him. That was the last nail in the coffin that truly turned you into an ice queen.''_

Weiss could only stare at her reflection in horror, as she let the stranger's words sink in. As happy as she was to see that her goals were being fulfilled, the heiress was horrified over what had become of her. She was completely alone, like she had been before coming to Beacon.

''So... if Ruby rejected Weiss, then who did she end up with?'' Yang asked, causing everyone to look at her. ''What? I'm curious.''

 _''All in due time. Next we are going somewhere else,''_ the man answered and the group was once again transported by another flash of light.

* * *

When the light disappeared, the group of six found themselves in what seemed like a town in a tropical island. As they looked around themselves, they saw numerous faunus people walking around and only a few humans. It was essentially the opposite of Vale.

''So anybody know where we are?'' Yang asked while looking around. ''It seems like we are in a town of faunus or something.''

''We're in Menagerie,'' Blake answered, causing everyone to turn and look at her. ''A long time ago, this land was given to us by humans and many of our people settled here.''

''So, a land for the faunus? Seems like a nice place,'' Winter said and looked around. ''This looks like a perfect place for a holiday resort or something.''

''It's not that great of a place,'' the cat faunus said with a slight hint of anger in her voice, surprising the others. ''While this place might seem nice, the truth is very different. A good amount of this island is not habitable for us and there are many dangerous Grimm around. Because of that, our people are forced to live in a small area. The only reason a lot of the people are willing to live here is because they don't want to deal with the racism of humans anymore.''

''That does sound bad, but I'm not sure about this place being as bad as you say it is,'' Weiss said. ''I mean, there is a good amount of people here, but I can see that the buildings here are quite good in quality. I can also see some marks of some more advanced technology around.''

After hearing her teammate's words, Blake looked around a bit more. True what Weiss had said, Menagerie seemed to be a lot better than what the cat faunus remembered. The buildings seemed to be made from better materials and seemed to have been equipped with better equipment. For example, there seemed to be a lot of generators operating with Dust, giving energy to the people living in the area.

''Now that you mention it, this place does seem a lot better,'' Blake said while looking around in awe of how much her home had changed for the better. ''Everything seems much better than before and the people around seem to be a lot happier than ever. If it weren't for the large faunus population and the plants that grow only in Menagerie, you could mistake this place for Vale.''

 _''I see that you have taken notice of your home's progress,''_ the stranger's voice came suddenly. _''You are indeed correct in assuming that things are now better than ever here. Right now, the chieftain of Menagerie, who is also the commander of the White Fang, has made tremendous efforts in advancing the overall living conditions of the people here. Not only has the infrastructure been modernized along with many other improvements, but Menagerie has also opened up to having human population within it. What was once a closed-off sanctuary for faunus wanting to escape the persecution of humans has become a welcoming home to all the people in the world.''_

''Amazing... You said that this was all done by the new chieftain of Menagerie and leader of the White Fang?'' Blake asked while feeling excitement build within herself. ''Who is that person? Can I go see them?''

 _''But of course! As a matter of fact, I want you to see that person. You will most likely learn something from that experience,''_ the man answered.

''What do you mean by that?'' the raven-haired girl asked.

 _''You will understand once you see the person you're looking for.''_

The stranger provided the group of six with directions and the eventually reached the manor of Menagerie's chieftain. It was still on the same spot where the previous chieftain, Blake's father, used to live. However, what greatly surprised the cat faunus was the fact that the building had not changed at all. It still looked the same even after all the time that had passed. It was like Blake's childhood home was stuck in the past, while the rest of Menagerie had moved forward.

The six ladies entered the building and made their way upstairs where the chieftain's office was. Once they reached that room, they were shocked to find an older Blake Belladonna sitting behind the desk while reading a book.

''Is that... Is that me?'' Blake asked. ''Am I the person who turned Menagerie into such a paradise?''

 _''Indeed you are,''_ the stranger answered. _''Thanks to your fame as a Huntress among your other achievements, you were able to get a lot of support from different people, both faunus and human. As time went on, your influence grew and you were able to completely shut down some of the largest faunus terrorist groups in the world and turn the White Fang back to it's peaceful origins. You were soon chosen as the next chieftain of Menagerie, allowing you to negotiate with the four kingdoms and many influential people to help build up Menagerie, eventually turning it into the place you just saw.''_

''Amazing... It's everything I have ever dreamed of,'' the raven-haired faunus said with a smile on her face.

Suddenly, an older cat faunus woman entered the office. This was Kali Belladonna, Blake's mother. The older faunus had a bright smile on her face and was carrying a small stack of papers in her hands.

''Blake, how are you doing, honey?'' Kali asked sweetly.

''I'm doing fine, mom,'' the future Blake answered. ''What brings you here?''

''Oh, I just wanted to see how my baby girl was doing!'' the faunus mother said in an excited voice. ''Do I need any other reason to visit you?''

''Normally that would be true, but I know you too well. That look on your face just tells me that you're scheming something,'' the daughter replied. ''So I'll ask you again, what brings you here?''

''Did you really have to use such a nasty word as scheming?'' Kali said in a mock hurt voice. ''Oh, how it pains me when my own daughter can't trust me!''

Not only future Blake, but the present Blake as well rolled their eyes at the older faunus woman's antics. While Kali was a very sweet and caring mother, she could often be overly dramatic.

''Bad theater aside, could you answer my question?'' future Blake asked. ''I was just getting to a good part in my book.''

''Hmph! Such a cruel daughter you are!'' Kali said in a slightly joking manner before becoming a bit more serious. ''Blake, you know that your father and I are very proud of you, right? The changed you have brought not only to Menagerie and the White Fang, but to the relationship between humans and faunus are things we used to dream about. You have managed to achieve that which we tried to, but ultimately failed to do.''

''I shouldn't be taking all the credit for that. After all, I was helped a lot by my friends,'' the daughter said. ''But it is truly wonderful to hear you say that. I still remember how we used to be, when our struggles seemed to be completely fruitless.''

''Indeed. But even if you are doing splendidly as Menagerie's chieftain and White Fang's leader, there are still some things a parent can't help but worry about,'' the mother said. ''I came here to see if I could help you with a certain problem you've been having for quite some time now.''

''A problem?'' future Blake asked. ''What are you talking about?''

''I'm talking about how you haven't found love yet!'' Kali exclaimed happily and put the papers she had been carrying on her daughter's desk. The papers had pictures of different ladies along with information on them. ''Now, I have been looking around for possible candidates to be your girlfriend and I'm certain we will find the right one for you!''

As the faunus mother started to go through the papers, explaining about the great characteristics of each person, future Blake sat completely frozen with wide eyes. Once her mother brought up her issue of not finding love, she went completely still. The only way one could tell that she wasn't a statue was by listening to the faint sound of her breathing.

''M-Mom... I appreciate your concern... b-but I don't- I don't think I can-'' the White Fang leader began to say but was cut off by her mother.

''Blake, please! You need this!'' Kali pleaded with all her previous positive attitude completely vanished. ''Do you have any idea how hard it is for me and Ghira to see you like this!? Locking yourself away from everyone, drowning yourself in your work and books! You need someone there to give you happiness, the same way your father gives it to me! I know that you're still hurting because of Ruby, but-!''

At the mention of the redheaded girl's name, Blake got up from her seat and practically ran out of the room. As she walked past her mother, she said that she had work to do, but it was clear that the cat faunus was only lying. Despite Kali asking her daughter to stop, Blake simply closed the door behind her and ran away.

The group of invisible time travelers were confused by future Blake's actions and decided to follow her. It didn't take long for them to find her in the woods near her home, sitting against a tree and crying.

''What the...? Why did I suddenly act like that? Why did I...?'' Blake wondered as she watched her future self continue to sob.

 _''Run away?''_ the stranger's voice suddenly came out, finishing the raven-haired girl's sentence for her. _''Isn't that what you say that you always do? Despite the fact that you've achieved your dreams, you have been running away from your biggest problem for years now, your broken heart.''_

''My broken heart?'' Blake asked. ''Did I... Did I get rejected by Ruby?''

 _''Actually, you didn't. That is because in order for someone to get rejected, they first have to confess their feelings for another person, don't they?''_ the mysterious man asked in response, causing the cat faunus to go wide-eyed. _''You never even got to that point. After you saw other people get rejected by Ruby, you were afraid of getting rejected by her, as well. That led to you completely hiding your feelings from her and even getting as far away as possible from her. You wouldn't even go to any places where you knew she could be at. All just because you were afraid to get rejected by her.''_

''No... I-It can't be...!'' Blake said, horrified over what she had become. ''How could I become so... spineless?''

 _''That is a good question, but I'm afraid only you can answer that yourself. Not only that, but I think it's time we go to the next place I want to show you.''_

The group of six women were once again surrounded by light that would take them to their next destination, whatever that would be.

* * *

When the light disappeared from around the group, the six time travelers found themselves in front of a building that seemed to be a rather shady club. However, despite it's appearance, they could hear a lot of noise coming from within the building, indicating that a lot of people were inside and were having a good time.

''What is this place?'' Glynda asked, not really fond of shady places like the one they were looking at.

''It looks like a club or something for criminals,'' Cinder answered in a calm tone, not bothered at all by where they were. ''Kind of reminds me of my old job.''

''Ugh! Who could ever like such a vulgar establishment!?'' Weiss asked in a disgusted voice. ''I'm willing to bet that only barbarians gather here to enjoy themselves!''

''Man, this place looks like fun!'' Yang suddenly shouted happily, causing everyone else to look at her with raised eyebrows. ''I wanna go take a look inside!''

While most of the group was watching the blonde girl practically skip towards the club's entrance, Blake turned to look at Weiss.

''Seems you were right, Weiss,'' the cat faunus said in a blank tone.

Once the group got inside, their ears were blasted by loud music and their noses were overtaken by the smell of alcohol and tobacco in the air. While the others were not pleased with their surroundings at all, Yang kept grinning like a goofball. She couldn't help but be excited over this new place she had gotten into.

Like Cinder had guessed, the club was full of nothing but shady looking people. Winter, Glynda, Cinder and even Blake were able to recognize members to several crime families, street gangs and bandit groups from their outfits and other features. When it came to the club's staff, it was mostly made of scantily clad women, who would often flirt with some of the male guests.

''This has got to be the most horrible place in the world,'' Glynda said in a disgusted voice.

''I agree. If I wasn't a practically non-existent time traveler, I would go and gather troops, so that I could clean this place of all the scum that's gathered here,'' Winter said as she glared at all the criminals around her, which went unnoticed due to her special situation.

''I don't see what you're all complaining about. This place seems like fun!'' Yang said while looking around. ''Not to mention, I wouldn't mind seeing Ruby wearing one of those barmaid outfits they have here! Just the thought is enough to make me drool!''

 _''If I may remind you all, we didn't come here for sightseeing,''_ the stranger's voice came yet again, getting the attention of the six time travelers. _''I actually had a specific reason for bringing you all here.''_

''And what could that be?'' Weiss asked. ''What could any of us possibly have to do with this kind of a place?''

 _''Proceed a bit further and you'll find out.''_

Following the man's instructions, the group of six ladies went further into the club. They eventually arrived to the middle of the place, where a ring had been set up. A lot of people had gathered around the ring, most likely waiting for a fight to happen there. It also seemed like one of the fighters was already in the ring. It was a very tall woman with muscles that most athletes could only dream of. She was also wearing what seemed like a yellow wrestling outfit.

''My God... Is that a human being or some sort of a hairless gorilla up there?'' Weiss asked while looking at the wrestler woman in disgust.

''I don't know, but I think it should be put into a cage,'' Winter said, agreeing with her sister.

''I kind of like her style!'' Yang said happily while examining the woman in the ring, which caused the others to look at her.

''What is wrong with you?'' Blake asked while shaking her head.

''Hey! It's a matter of taste, dammit!'' the blonde yelled angrily at her partner.

Suddenly, someone else stepped into the ring. It was a short man dressed in a flashy suit and a top hat. He had a microphone with him, which meant that he was the announcer to the match that was about to happen.

 **''Ladies and gentlemen! It's time to start the event that you have all been waiting for! Our gladiator match between the two strongest women in the world!''** the announcer said, causing the crowd to cheer. **''In the blue corner, we have the amazon wrestler! The breaker of bones! With a record of 18 wins and no losses in our matches! It's BRUTELLA THE DESTROYER!''**

The crowd cheered as the woman in the ring roared like an animal, showing everyone just how confident she was of her strength.

 **''And in the red corner, our new challenger! She has come here to show us that she is the strongest one in the world!''** the announcer began to introduce the other fighter, as someone was walking towards the ring. Whoever it was, they had a strong, tall body and were wearing a hood over their head, hiding their identity. **''She has demolished all the underground fighter in both Vale and Atlas! An unstoppable machine of destruction and mayhem! Will she continue her streak of victory or will she finally taste bitter defeat!? It's YANG ''THE GOLDEN DRAGON'' XIAO LONG!''**

When Yang's name was announced, the second fighter who had entered the ring took off their hood, showing that it was indeed the same blonde girl, except in the future. The future Yang still had the same hairstyle and was wearing similar clothes as she did in the past. However, the blonde woman had become a lot bigger thanks to her training. While not as big as her opponent, she had grown very tall and muscular. She honestly made her past self look like a midget.

While the others could only stare at the blonde Huntress of the future with their mouths hanging open in disbelief, Yang herself was going wild. The blonde girl was cheering over how awesome she looked in the future.

''WOOOO! Yeah! Go me! I'm awesome!'' Yang cheered as she threw her hands in the air in celebration. ''Go kick that other lady's ass!''

''Yang, aren't you even the least bit concerned about your future self?'' Weiss asked her teammate.

''Why? Should I be?'' the brawler asked back.

With the introductions for both fighters out of the way, it was time for the match to start. Unfortunately for future Yang's opponent, it wouldn't be a match. A better word to call it would be a slaughter, as the brawler of the future absolutely demolished her opponent. As soon as the fight started, future Yang punched her opponent in the gut so hard that she was forced to vomit. The wrestler lady was not given any chance to recover, as the blonde woman then gave her an uppercut to the jaw that sent her flying to the air. As soon as she had landed, future Yang was over her, delivering a flurry of powerful punches all over her face. Once she was done using her opponent as a punching bag, future Yang got up and picked up the wrestler woman by the hair before throwing her out of the ring, causing her to crash into a table. The referee quickly ran over to the wrestler woman and saw that she was unconscious, after which he announced Yang as the winner.

As soon as the winner was announced, the crowd began to roar with cheers. Among these people was the Yang from the past, who was overjoyed by her future version's victory, which she showed by cheering as loudly as she could while jumping up and down. Meanwhile, the other ladies in her group could only stare with wide eyes at what they had just seen. Never before had they seen a fight so brutal before.

''Alright, that was awesome!'' Yang yelled happily. ''Did you guys see that!? Man, I can't believe just how cool I am in this future!''

Weiss was about to say how her teammate shouldn't be all that happy about what they had just seen, but was cut off by Glynda. The teacher had noticed something that she found a bit disturbing.

''Hang on a second. Something is not right here,'' Glynda said, causing the others to turn towards her. ''I've seen Ms. Xiao Long fight before and she always enjoys it. It's a rare thing to not see her smile while fighting.''

''What do you mean by that?'' Winter asked.

''Why wasn't that Yang smiling at all in her fight?'' the witch said.

The group looked at future Yang again and it was just like Glynda had said. The blonde of the future was not smiling at all. In fact, it almost looked like she was in a bad mood. The thought that someone who used to be so cheery and full of joy had been reduced to such an unhappy person brought chills down the group's spines.

The six ladies decided to follow future Yang in order to see what was up with her. They watched as the blonde woman exited the ring and went to collect her prize from the club's bartender, before walking out of the building. The time travelers followed her as she walked through the streets, until she reached what seemed to be an inn. However, there was a certain special sign on the building's wall that said there would be girls offered there.

''What the-!? Why would I go to a love motel in the future!? Am I unfaithful or something!?'' Yang asked with a horrified expression on her face.

''What do you mean by that?'' Blake asked her partner.

''Well, seeing just how awesome I am, I'm surely the one who got Ruby in the end!'' the blonde said. ''That would mean that if I go to a love motel, I'm unfaithful to Rubes! That's what being unfaithful means, doesn't it!?''

None of the other ladies said anything in response. They just glared at Yang for saying that she was the one who got together with Ruby.

 _''Perhaps you should all go inside and see what the future Ms. Xiao Long is doing there? It might be something you'll find interesting,''_ the stranger's voice said.

Following the advice they had just gotten, the six ladies went inside the love motel and searched for the future version of Yang Xiao Long. Thanks to no one being able to see them, they were able to go around without any problems, not to mention the fact that they could go through solid objects, as well. Thanks to this, it didn't take long to find future Yang, who was sitting on a bed in one of the rooms. The blonde woman still had the same emotionless expression on her face as before.

''Wow, you're really different in the future, Yang,'' Weiss said while looking at her teammate's future version. ''I kind of prefer it over you. It's much more silent and less irritating.''

''Bite me, princess,'' Yang said angrily at the heiress.

Before an argument could break out, someone entered the room. The six time travelers' eyes went wide as they saw a girl who looked almost exactly like Ruby walk in. The only difference between this girl and Ruby was the color of their eyes. Instead of the silver color their redhead had, this girl's eyes were green.

''Hi, I'm the girl you ordered,'' the redhead said to future Yang in a flirty tone. ''So, what do you wanna do first?''

Instead of saying anything, the blonde woman stood up and walked over to the girl. She put her hand against the side of the redhead's face and gently caressed it before slowly bringing herself down to kiss her on the lips. However, when their lips were about to meet, future Yang pulled back and pushed the redhead away from her.

''Get out,'' the brawler said in an emotionless voice. ''I've got no use for you.''

''What the-!? You're the one who ordered me, you ass!'' the girl screamed angrily. ''If you didn't want me, why would you ask for me!?''

''What are you complaining about? You just earned money without having to actually work for it,'' future Yang said. ''Now, are you going to walk out or am I going to have to throw you out?''

Seeing as there was nothing for her to do, the redhead simply stomped out angrily and slammed the door behind her. With the girl now gone, future Yang went to lay on the bed. At first, the six time travelers thought that she was trying to sleep, but upon closer inspection, they saw tears falling from her eyes.

''What's this? What is wrong with her? I mean, me,'' Yang wondered while staring at her future self in disbelief.

 _''You were never able to get over a certain incident in the past. You've spent years afterwards trying to get over it, but you've been unable to do it,''_ the stranger explained. _''That incident was you getting rejected by Ruby.''_

''I... I was rejected?'' the blonde asked.

 _''Indeed you were. But it wasn't just any simple rejection either. In order to get Ruby for yourself, you went completely overboard with your way of making sure that would happen. Every person that tried to get closer to her became an enemy and you began to pretty much stalk her. In the end, Ruby grew sick of it. So much so that when you confessed your feelings to her, she was having none of it. Instead, she became enraged and said that she never wanted to see you again, which led to you becoming a wanderer.''_

Yang could only stare at her future self as she felt her heart sink. The thought of making Ruby hate her from her own actions was the worst thing the blonde could imagine. The only thing going through her mind was wondering what she could possibly do to make sure this wouldn't happen.

* * *

The group of time travelers left the motel and were outside again. This had been a lot of information they were trying to let sink in, as they thought about the futures the WBY were going through in this timeline.

''I don't... I don't get it,'' Weiss said almost inaudibly. ''How is it possible that it came down to this? How could we have possibly made Ruby hate us so much?''

''Yeah... And if none of us got together with her, then who did?'' Yang asked.

''Well, I think the answer to that is obvious! The person who got together with Ms. Rose has to have been one of us!'' Winter suddenly said while motioning towards the members of the WGC.

''WHAT!?'' the WBY screamed in unison.

''That must be it. After all, who else could Ms. Rose want as her partner in life?'' Glynda asked with a smug smile.

''Besides, why wouldn't Ruby be interested in us? Mature women like us must seem a lot better to her than some immature brats,'' Cinder said arrogantly.

''Why you... I'll show you who is a-!'' Yang began to say while grinding her teeth, but was cut off by Blake.

''Hang on a second. There's something that I've been wondering,'' the cat faunus said. ''Cinder, how old are you?''

''W-What do you mean by that!?'' the raven-haired woman asked.

''Well, you're supposed to be a student, like us, yet you're referring to us as ''brats.'' If you're a student who has been studying at a Huntsman Academy like we have, you should be around the same age as us. If that is the case, who are you to call us brats?'' the cat faunus explained.

''Now that you mention it... She does act a lot differently than people her supposed age should. With the way she dresses, talks and acts. It's not exactly the kind of behavior one would expect from a regular teenager,'' Weiss said thoughtfully.

''Yeah, and upon a closer look, Cinder does look older than we do,'' Yang added. ''Just how many times have you been forced to repeat a year in school?''

''NOT A SINGLE ONE! I SWEAR!'' Cinder screamed at the top of her lungs. Her face had turned completely red from embarrassment.

 _''If I may, I would like to stop this little argument right here, so we can move onward with our little trip to the future,''_ the stranger's voice said with a hint of frustration in it. _''I swear, you six are worse than my younger brother...''_

''Excuse me! We have been seeing the future versions of other people for some time. When are we going to see Ruby?'' Winter asked, wanting to see her beloved rose finally.

 _''That time will come. However, I need to show you all something else before that.''_

With that, light surrounded the group again and they were transported to their next location in their trip through time.

* * *

 **Author's notes: So, I'm pretty sure you can all guess what's going to happen next, right? Next time we are going to see the future versions of the women of WGC. And later, we get to see what Ruby's life is like in this future.**

 **With this chapter done, we are one step closer to the end. However, it will be a while until we reach the ending. In fact, from what I have planned, it seems it will take us another four chapters before this series is over. However, I am determined to see it through.**

 **Also, congratulation to Celestialfae for picking up the base for the mysterious stranger's appearance. While his appearance and personality weren't exactly based on Camp Camp's Daniel since I was thinking of David while writing it, it's close enough that I think we can call it correct. Besides, Daniel is basically just David in white clothes and hair, which is basically what I did.**

 **However, when it comes to the stranger's identity, no one has yet managed to guess it correctly. I have dropped another hint in this chapter and I'm very curious as to see if anyone can guess it.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	41. Future Selves (Part 2)

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 41: Future Selves (Part 2)**

The light disappeared from around the group of six time travelers, allowing them to see where they had been transported to this time. It didn't take them long to realize that they were now at an Atlesian military base, judging by the all the uniformed soldiers that were walking around.

''So, judging by our latest trips. I'm guessing that we'll soon be seeing the future version of Winter,'' Glynda said while looking around. ''Either that or Cinder has decided to join the military for some reason.''

''No way that's happening,'' Cinder quickly said. ''You wouldn't catch me dead in the Atlesian military.''

''What is that supposed to mean!?'' Winter asked angrily, not liking the way the raven-haired woman talked about the military she was serving.

''Oh, I don't know... Perhaps because they are uptight, self-important jackasses, who think that the best solution to every problem is to throw as many soldiers and war machines as possible at it?'' Cinder asked in a mocking tone.

''We are so not like that! We handle every conflict we are a part of with the utmost care and tactical perfection!'' the soldier argued before turning towards Glynda. ''And you! What is your problem with the Atlesian military!?''

''You mean besides the reason Cinder just gave? How about the fact that your leader, General Ironwood, seems to lead your army in response to his ''manhood'' issues, and the fact that when he gets drunk at parties, he tries to grope me?'' the teacher answered in a mocking tone similar to Cinder's.

''HOW DARE YOU!?'' Winter screamed in rage as she continued to argue with the other two women.

Meanwhile, the WBY were staring at their rival group's arguing, before looking at each other.

''Hey, when we are arguing, do you think we look as immature as they do?'' Weiss asked her teammates while pointing at the WGC.

''No way. I'm pretty sure that we are more mature than THAT,'' Blake answered.

''Much more mature,'' Yang added while giving a nod.

 _''Excuse me, but I think you all have much more important matter at hand right now,''_ the stranger suddenly said, stopping the group of six from talking or arguing. _''You should start heading towards the general's office. I don't think I need to tell you why at this point.''_

The six time travelers took the man's advice and started to go to their destination with Winter's lead. Thanks to the white-haired woman's knowledge of the base, the group was able to make their way to the general's office very easily.

However, as the group was walking, Winter noticed something strange about the base they were at. The atmosphere was very tense and everyone they saw didn't seem to be relaxed at all. While it was true that military bases weren't exactly the most relaxing places you could find, especially those from Atlas, it seemed like everyone was extremely nervous around there. It was like the personnel there were expecting an attack or something.

It didn't take long for the group to reach their destination. Once there, they were treated to the surprise of not seeing General Ironwood sitting behind a desk, but an older Winter Schnee sitting there.

''Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise,'' Winter said while looking at her future self. ''It seems that military career has taken me quite far.''

 _''Indeed it has,''_ the stranger's voice said again. _''Thanks to your accomplishments in those certain events I mentioned earlier, you were able to rise up in the military ranks quite far. Not only that, but thanks to your work, the Atlesian military's strength has increased tremendously, making them the best force to uphold the peace of Remnant.''_

''Is that so? Well, I have to say that sounds just wonderful,'' Winter said with a smile, happy to hear that all of her work had paid off.

While the soldier was thinking about her future self's achievements, the door to the office opened. A young man in a military officer uniform walked in and saluted future Winter before speaking.

''Sir, we have just received report that the equipment we asked for is on it's way here. We should be expecting for the cargo to arrive within this week,'' the man said.

''That is good to hear, soldier,'' the white-haired woman responded. ''Tell the people at the hangar to be ready to receive it. I want all of that Dust and additional weaponry to be stored as quickly as possible.''

''Understood, General Schnee,'' the officer replied. He looked a down with a doubtful look before speaking up again. ''Sir... with all due respect, are you sure we should be making all these preparations in our weaponry? Isn't the Atlesian military strong enough as it is?''

''If there is one thing that I have learned in my life, it is that no one is ever ''strong enough,'' future Winter answered as she gave a small glare towards the officer. ''A soldier can never be too strong nor can an army be too prepared. Remember that we are the ones that have to protect the citizens from danger. No matter the cost.''

''I understand that, sir. But aren't we taking it too far with all these weapons we keep developing? And all the training we are putting the men through?'' the man asked with a hint of fear in his voice. It was like he was afraid of Winter. ''It's having negative effects on both inside our army and outside it. Because we are doing all these preparations and are running our men ragged through numerous intense training exercises, their morale has dropped significantly. They are also starting to have doubts towards their higher-ranking officers.''

''A good soldier simply follows orders without question,'' the general said while slowly standing up from her desk, intimidating the lower-ranking officer even further. ''If they do not have the spine to do what needs to be done, they shouldn't have joined the military in the first place. Besides, those training exercises are there to help them survive whatever battle they might face. They should be thankful for them.''

''B-But we still need to consider their opinion on this matter. W-We can't ignore it, if all of our soldiers' spirits are broken,'' the officer managed to say as he started to sweat. ''However, the biggest issue comes from how we are viewed by the other kingdoms. Thanks to everything we have been doing, rumors have started to spread about us possibly invading one of the other kingdoms soon. The other kingdoms are currently looking at us in suspicion. Can we really just let that be?''

''If the other kingdoms are so bothered by our methods, perhaps they should consider picking up their slack and getting better, as well!'' future Winter said angrily. Her patience was starting to reach it's limit. ''Maybe that way when the Grimm come at us again, they might be able to defend themselves without our assistance! Instead, it seems to me that WE are the ones who need to be there to protect everyone, because of their inability to build their strength properly!''

''But General, we can't keep doing this! We have to stop or-!''

''Stop!? STOP!? You miserable maggot need to learn your place!'' the general ranted as she walked up to the officer in order to yell straight at his face. ''Unlike you, I fought the Grimm on the very frontline! I saw many good people die and suffer, which could have been prevented if we had built up our strength the way I've been doing! We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, but it seems that I am the only one who has learned a damn thing here!''

''B-B-But General-''

''MY ORDERS HERE ARE ABSOLUTE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!? IF YOU DO, THEN GET BACK TO YOUR POST RIGHT NOW!'' future Winter yelled as loud as she could, causing the officer to run out of the office in terror. Once he had left, the white-haired woman walked up to the window that was behind her desk and just stood there, staring out of it. ''I need to do this, so I can show everyone my strength. So I can show it to _her_...''

As the general stood still, the six time travelers walked closer to her. Much to their surprise, while future Winter had a deep frown on her face, a single tear fell from her eye.

''What is... What is going on with me?'' Winter asked while staring at her future self. ''How did I become such dictator?''

 _''That is because you mixed your two obsessions together. Your pursuit of military prowess and your pursuit of Ruby Rose,''_ the stranger's voice answered for the soldier. _''After the events that I told you before, you had witnessed a lot of destruction and suffering that had happened. You decided that the best way to prevent anything like it from happening again was to increase the strength of the Atlesian military. You were also certain that Ruby would see your logic and thus fall in love with you, considering you the greatest protector for world peace. However, when she didn't see things your way, you lashed out at her, thus breaking whatever relationship you had with her. This led to you completely focusing on your work in the military in order to distract yourself from your broken heart.''_

''That's... That's terrible,'' Winter said with a shocked expression on her face. ''How could I let myself become the opposite of what I worked so hard to become?''

 _''That is something you have to figure out yourself. Right now, I'm taking you to your next stop,''_ the mysterious man answered before the group was transported once again in a flash of light.

* * *

The light around the six time travelers soon disappeared to reveal that they had arrived at a place they all recognized. Right in front of them was the front entrance to Beacon Academy.

''Well, this certainly looks familiar,'' Yang said as she looked at Beacon's entrance. ''A bit too familiar to be honest...''

''What do you mean by that?'' Winter asked.

''I mean that this place looks exactly the same as before we got sent to the future,'' the blonde girl answered. ''We have been here and seen all these changes that have happened with time, but this place hasn't changed at all. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that we just got sent back to our time.''

''Now that you mention it, I can't notice any changes at all,'' Weiss commented as she looked at everything around her. ''Doesn't anyone try to upgrade this school to be at least a bit better? I can't imagine it being beneficial to neither the students or the staff that this place doesn't go through any changes with the times.''

''Hmph! The ignorance of the young,'' Glynda said as she shook her head, causing the others to look at her. ''There are many things we hold important here in Beacon and one of them is tradition. It's because of this dedication to tradition that we have kept our school as one of the best academies in the world! To change anything in our building would be an offense to that very tradition that holds us up!''

''Does this tradition perhaps include the uncomfortable beds?'' Weiss asked sarcastically.

''Or the showers that run out of hot water very fast?'' Blake added.

''Or the awful food in the cafeteria?'' Yang added.

''Or the sometimes dangerously outdated study materials?'' Winter added.

''Or the downright incompetent staff?'' Cinder added.

''No, but it seems that the awful students and other visitors are something we are cursed with for eternity,'' Glynda grumbled angrily.

''HEY!'' the others yelled back.

 _''Could you for once start moving without me having to tell you to do so?''_ the stranger's voice came with a hint of frustration in it. _''Seriously, there is a reason as to why I brought you all here! Why can't you all be a bit more active?''_

''Well, we can't really do that, since we don't know where you want us to go,'' Yang replied.

 _''Oh, for the love of-! Haven't you all perhaps noticed a pattern here!? Where do you think I want you to go!?''_ the mysterious man said, slowly reaching the end of his patience.

The six ladies looked at each other for a second before saying, ''Glynda's office?''

 _''Correct. Now can you please start going there? I have other business to attend to, you know?''_

The time travelers decided to follow the stranger's instructions, not wanting to upset him any more. Since they were all pretty familiar with Beacon Academy, they were able to reach Glynda's office quickly. Once they entered the room, they saw an older Glynda sitting at her desk while going through a big stack of papers.

''So... Nothing has really changed for me in the future then?'' the blonde teacher asked, slightly saddened by the fact that there wasn't any great change for her.

 _''I think you should look to your right,''_ the stranger's voice answered.

Glynda and the other time travelers turned their heads to the direction they were told and were greatly surprised by what they saw. There was a big closet full of trophies and the whole wall itself was covered in all sorts of prizes. The prizes were for a lot different things, ranging from being nominated the best Huntress of the year, to awards in the fields of literature and philosophy.

''What are these!?'' Glynda asked in an excited voice as she went to inspect them closer. ''I have never gotten awards for... anything!''

 _''While your career in teaching didn't exactly go any further, since being appointed as a professor in one of the most famous academies in the world is as far as most can reach in that field, you picked up a lot of other things for yourself that did reach quite far,''_ the mysterious man explained. _''You took a more active role as a Huntress, which led to you taking down some of the largest and most dangerous Grimm out there. This earned you a lot of fame for your combat skills and earned the title of ''Best Huntress'' quite a few times. You also took up writing, which earned you even more fame. You currently hold the position of number one in best selling novels with your latest book.''_

''This is amazing... I always dreamed of being a writer when I was a child,'' the blonde teacher said with a happy tone. She couldn't believe how great the future was for her. ''By the way, what types of books do I write?''

 _''Well, there are three types of books that you write. Some are adventure-type books that are based on your life as a Huntress, others are philosophical books where you ponder certain aspects of the world, such as the social standing of Huntsmen and politics of the kingdoms. However, the most popular books that you write are based on something else.''_

''And what are they based on?''

Before Glynda's question was answered, there was a knock on the door to the office. Future Glynda told the person on the other side to enter and the door opened to reveal a young man. Judging by his appearance, the time travelers guessed that he was a new teacher at the school.

''Professor Wolfwood, what brings you here?'' the future version of the blonde teacher asked.

''I came here to inform you about the preparations for the school dance,'' the new teacher answered. ''The students are currently finishing their preparations for the auditorium, where the dance will be held. We have also received word from the other three academies that their headmasters will be attending this year.''

''I see. That is good to hear, but why did you feel the need to inform me about this?'' future Glynda asked. ''While the school dance is a big event for the students and everyone else who attends it, I am not concerned with it at all. I see little to no reason as to why I should be informed.''

''Well, the reason I am doing this is because Professor Ozpin asked me to do it,'' Wolfwood answered. ''He also wanted me to ask all the teachers if they would be attending.''

''As lovely as the dance is, I will unfortunately be too busy to attend,'' the blonde teacher said. ''Not only do I have my work as a teacher here, but I also need to work on my next book. If I don't start putting a bit more effort into it, my publisher might get upset with me.''

''But Professor Goodwitch, don't you think that you are working a bit too much? I mean, taking a single night off from work can't be-''

''I have already made my mind. You may leave now.''

Professor Wolfwood gave a simple nod before walking out of the office, leaving the blonde teacher alone. Once her colleague had left, future Glynda looked down at her papers for a second before opening one of the drawers in her desk and pulling out a flask.

''What's the point of a dance, when I've got no one to go there with?'' the teacher muttered to herself sadly as she took a swig from her flask before letting out a few tears from her eyes.

Meanwhile, Glynda stood still and stared at her future version with saddened eyes. She could somewhat guess what her future was like.

''I take it that I wasn't able to get together with Ms. Rose either then?'' the teacher asked in a low, sad voice.

 _''Good to see that someone is able to figure things on their own here,''_ the stranger said before starting his explanation. _''You are correct in assuming that. After you saw others get rejected by Ruby, you began doubting yourself a lot. You didn't think that you would have a chance with her, since you were her teacher, unlike the others who, in your eyes, had a lot better chances at winning her over. After you gave up on Ruby, you were never able to find anyone who you could trust like her again. You were certain that people saw you only as a cruel and strict teacher and nothing more, which led you to a life of alcohol and loneliness.''_

''...Does anyone of us have a pleasant future?'' Glynda asked with depression in her voice. ''It seems like none of us was able to find happiness.''

 _''I believe it's better for you all to see, rather than have me tell you,''_ the mysterious man answered before the group was again surrounded by light, taking them to their next destination.

* * *

The light soon disappeared from around the group as they arrived at their new destination. However, this time there were no buildings in sight or even any people in sight. They were now at a small road with nothing but forest and fields around them.

''What is this place supposed to be?'' Yang asked while looking around. ''We are pretty much in the middle of nowhere! How could anyone of us have any business here, whether it was in the past or future?''

''I agree. I see no reason for any of us to be here,'' Cinder said. ''This place holds no importance whatsoever.''

Despite the raven-haired woman's words, she couldn't help but feel that this place was somehow familiar. Even though it seemed very unlikely, Cinder had a feeling that not only had she been here before, but that something very important had also happened there.

 _''Oh, but there is a reason for one of you to be here. And that person happens to be you, Cinder,''_ the stranger's voice suddenly said. _''Think carefully. This place is actually very significant to you. You did something very big here, after all.''_

The raven-haired woman looked confused for a second, but then she started to piece together what this place was. Her eyes went wide as she finally realized what the mysterious man was talking about. This was the place where she and her servants had ambushed the Fall Maiden and she had taken her powers.

 _''I see that you have finally remembered what this place is,''_ the stranger said. _''One should not forget the crimes they have committed.''_

The other time travelers looked at Cinder with confusion, while the secret villainess' face turned pale.

''Cinder, what is he talking about?'' Glynda asked, but the other woman didn't answer.

 _''It's something a bit personal, I'm afraid,''_ the mysterious man's voice answered for the raven-haired woman. _''Let's just say that our friend here has done some really bad things in her life and would continue to do then even more. Fortunately, she would eventually change her ways and become a good person. However, the weight of her sins would still stay with her.''_

Before anyone could ask what the stranger meant with his words, they heard the sound of a horse approaching. They looked at where the sound was coming and saw a cloaked woman riding a horse towards them. Once she had reached a certain spot, she stopped and got off her horse. She took off the hood of her cloak to reveal that she was none other than the future version of Cinder, before walking to the side of the road. She then took some flowers that were hidden under her cloak and placed them on the ground.

The six time travelers moved a bit closer towards future Cinder in order to inspect her. Much to their shock, they saw that the raven-haired woman had lost her left eye and also had a couple of scars on her face. She was also wearing clothing that covered her whole body, which made the group think that she was hiding even more scars. However, the most heartbreaking thing about future Cinder was the expression on her face, which was one of utter sadness and regret.

''Did... Did something happen here to Cinder?'' Winter asked carefully. ''Did someone perhaps lose their life here or something?''

 _''I'm afraid that I can't really tell that to you all. It's something that is very personal to Cinder and I do not exactly have the right to talk about it, or at least that's how I feel,''_ the stranger answered. _''However, I will say this much. At this place, something big happened that put our dear Cinder here on her current path. While she had already made some rather ''questionable'' choices, this one was something that put her on a path that didn't give her much options. But even though she and many others would like to believe, she does have a choice. Cinder has the choice of making a change for herself and turning her life around. It is only a matter of doing it fast enough, so that she won't lose too much by staying on her current path.''_

While the other five ladies were completely confused, Cinder's mind was racing with what she had just learned. She knew exactly what the mysterious man was talking about, her being one of Salem's servants. Up until now, the raven-haired woman had always ignored a certain fact, which was that someday she would have to face Ruby Rose, the person she loved above everything, as her possible enemy. No matter how many excuses she gave herself, there was no way that Ruby would ever join her cause or anything like that. The sweet redhead was too good for her own good and would never join anyone that was essentially ''evil.'' As much as Cinder hated to admit it, she couldn't be part of Salem's forces and also pursue Ruby's love. No matter how much she wanted, she could never have both. One day, she would have to choose one. But when that day came, would she still be able to have either?

* * *

The group of time travelers watched as future Cinder got back on her horse and rode off. Once she had disappeared from sight, they all turned to look at each other. Thanks to their trip to the future, they had all learned valuable things about themselves and about their fight over Ruby. It was clear to them all that the longer they continued fighting over the person they all loved, the more likely it was that none of them would get her. And the consequences of that could be very severe.

However, while they had learned a lot about themselves, there was still one question remaining. What had happened to Ruby in the future?

''Hey... All this traveling through time has been very... enlightening for all of us,'' Yang said. ''But there is still one thing that we all want to know. What's Ruby's life like in this future? And if she didn't end up with any of us, who did end up with her?''

 _''While I could tell you everything that has happened to her, I still believe it's better for you all to see it for yourselves. Not to mention, now is the perfect time to show that to you,''_ the stranger answered before transporting the group to where Ruby was in the future.

* * *

 **Author's notes: This chapter became a bit shorter than the last one, which I hope you guys don't mind. I think one of the reasons is that I'm really trying my hardest to finish this story finally, which might have caused me to rush this a bit. There is also the fact that when it came to the futures of the WGC, I didn't have as much material for interactions with characters close to them as I had with the WBY. For example, Cinder doesn't really have people close to her besides Salem and her servants or Mercury and Emerald. Since we should assume that Cinder has changed her ways, I doubt that any of those people would really keep in touch with her, provided that they're still alive.**

 **When I was deciding on the futures for the WGC, I felt that having Winter become a general was natural. Glynda's future was probably the hardest, as I felt that she wouldn't become headmaster with Ozpin being immortal and all. Instead, I decided to have her take up writing and become a more famous Huntress. With Cinder, I went with her taking the role of the next Fall Maiden while regretting the crimes of her past.**

 **Anyways, next we will see what the future holds for Ruby and we will (hopefully) conclude our time traveling for this story. Hope you guys check it out when I get it ready.**

 **Also, big congratulations to blueanimelover123 for figuring out the true identity of the mysterious stranger! The correct answer was The Elder God of Light, who Qrow told about to Ruby and the remains of JNPR in Volume 4. It was a lot of fun for me to see what kind of answers people gave and I hope I get a chance to do something similar in the future.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	42. Fixing Time

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 42: Fixing Time**

The group of six time travelers soon found themselves standing in front of a small house surrounded by a thick forest. The six ladies looked around themselves an saw that there were no other houses anywhere near. Only connection between the house and civilization was a small dirt road that led from the building and through the woods. The windows had light glowing from them, indicating that someone was living there.

''Is this the place where she lives?'' Weiss asked. ''The place where Ruby lives?''

 _''It is. This is where Ruby Rose lives in this timeline,''_ the stranger answered. _''However, she doesn't live here alone. There is someone else here, living with her.''_

''Who is it?'' Cinder asked while trying to hold back her quickly rising temper, which was something the others were doing, too. ''Who is the trash that dares lay their hands on Ruby?''

 _''While I would normally mention how you have no right to talk about the person Ms. Rose chooses like that, I'm afraid that this time I can't really do that,''_ the mysterious man answered. _''That is because the person who Ms. Rose decided to share her life with isn't exactly the best for her.''_

''What do you mean by that!?'' Yang asked with her eyes turning red for a second. ''Just who is this person with Ruby!?''

 _''Why don't you all just walk inside and see?''_

The six time travelers walked through the door and went inside the house, hoping to find Ruby. They looked around for a while, before finding their beloved rose in what was the kitchen of the house. The redhead was in the process of making soup as she walked around the kitchen.

At first, the six ladies were glad to see the girl they loved, but they were soon horrified by what they saw when they looked at her a bit closer. The first thing the group noticed was that future Ruby seemed to have trouble walking, as she had to drag her left leg across the floor while walking. The redheaded lady was also very pale and seemed to be dangerously thin. She also had several scars all over her body and seemed to have lost a lot of the muscle she had gained from training. It seemed like future Ruby's body could easily break and shatter.

''Is... Is this Ruby?'' Winter asked in a horrified tone. ''Just what in the world happened to her to put her in this state?''

 _''Well, a lot of the damage that you see on her came from the events that I've mentioned already,''_ the stranger explained. _''It was those events that left most of those scars on her body, along with her damaged leg. The loss of her leg had to have been the worst injury she suffered, as it essentially destroyed her life as a Huntress.''_

''But couldn't she have gotten a cybernetic replacement for that!?'' Yang asked while trying her best to hold back her tears. The thought of her beloved redhead having to give up her dream was enough to make her want to cry. ''That way she could have continued her career as a Huntress!''

 _''Unfortunately, It's not that simple,''_ the mysterious man answered. _''In order for cybernetic limbs to work, the person who gets them needs to have their nerves to work properly on the are of the replacement. Ms. Rose didn't simply have her left leg cut off from her body, the nerves inside her leg were damaged, rendering her leg in the state you see it right now. Without the nerves, there was nothing to attach cybernetics to.''_

The six time travelers could only stand still and watch as the one they loved struggled to simply move around. Tears threatened to fall from their eyes as they saw just how bad Ruby's life had become.

''Does... Does the person Ruby lives with help her at all?'' Cinder asked. ''And who is it?''

 _''That person is actually someone you know quite well, Cinder. As to if they help Ms. Rose, you're about to see that.''_

Before the time travelers could ask any further questions, the front door to the house was slammed open. The group turned to look who had arrived and saw that it was Emerald. The green-haired woman's face was red, which was most likely due to her drinking too much. The group guessed this from the fact that Emerald was holding a nearly empty bottle of beer in one of her hands. She also had an angry expression on her face as she went to look for Ruby.

''ROSE! Where the hell are you, you dumb cow!?'' Emerald roared in drunken rage.

''I-I-I'm right here, Em! In the kitchen!'' Ruby answered in a frightened tone, as she struggled to walk over to the former thief. Due to her leg injury, she had to use a crutch and walls for support, so she wouldn't fall down. ''I was just preparing dinner for you! It's beef stew with-''

Before the redhead could finish her sentence, Emerald backhanded her across the face and sent her to the floor. Tears were falling from Ruby's eyes as she struggled to get up, but was suddenly pressed on the floor by the green-haired woman stepping on her.

''How many times do I have to tell you before you get it through your thick skull!? I don't like beef!'' Emerald yelled angrily as she kept pressing the injured woman to the floor with her foot. ''And another thing! Never call me Em! That is something only those that I truly love can call me! Not some disgusting cripple who should be starving on the street!''

''I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'' Ruby pleaded as she started to cry. ''I was just trying to make you happy!''

''If YOU want to make me happy, you should find a way to make it so that I would have never met you at all!'' the green-haired woman shouted. ''I swear, everything started to go downhill the moment I saw you! Ever since then, you've been nothing but a pain in my ass and nothing more!''

''S-Stop that! Stop saying that! I've never-!''

''Oh? You don't like the truth that I've been telling you?'' Emerald asked with an evil smirk. ''And just what are you going to do about it?''

''I... I'll...'' Ruby said fearfully with her mind racing for an answer.

''I'll tell you just what you're going to do. Absolutely nothing,'' the former thief said, causing the redhead to go wide-eyed. ''That's what you're going to do. After all, what's going to happen if I leave your life? I'll tell you what's going to happen. You're going back to the way you were before you got together with me. Alone and struggling to get through the day while working some crappy job that barely pays you enough. You know just as well as I do that without your combat skills, you're pretty much useless. You don't even have the money to go studying in some school, so that you could get a better job. So in the end, all you can do is rely on someone to help you out, so you don't starve to death. And we both know that there's no one else but me that will do that for you, isn't that right?''

As much as she wanted, Ruby couldn't say anything against Emerald. It was true that she couldn't fight anymore because she lost her leg, and she didn't have any funds to support herself. After she had quit her life as a Huntress, it had been nothing but struggle for her for every day. The redhead didn't have a degree that could get her a job that would allow her to properly support herself or anything else to ease her life. When Emerald had found her, Ruby had just lost her home and was about to be forced to live on the streets. When the green-haired woman had taken her in and afterwards asked the ex-Huntress to marry her, Ruby had thought that her life would have taken a turn for the better. Unfortunately, the opposite had happened.

''What's this? You got no counter argument?'' Emerald asked with her smirk still on her face. ''That's what I thought. You got no one else but me and that's the end of it. So, what are you going to do about that crap dinner you made?''

''...I'll prepare something else. I'm sorry for wasting your time,'' Ruby said almost inaudibly, afraid that she might anger the green-haired woman even more.

''Good. I'm going to watch some TV now, so don't make too much noise. You know what happens if you do, right?'' Emerald said as she walked to the living room, leaving the redhead to silently cry alone.

Meanwhile, the six time travelers were boiling with rage over what they had just seen. The fact that someone had the nerve to hurt their beloved rose angered them to no end. If only they could lay their hands on Emerald, they could make her pay for everything she just did and more. They would even be able to offer Ruby the comfort she needed and deserved at the moment.

''That... That BITCH! What the hell is her problem with Ruby!?'' Blake yelled angrily as tears of rage started to fall from her eyes. ''How could she just use and abuse Ruby like this, when she can't even defend herself!?''

''Who does that little street rat think she is!?'' Cinder hissed in rage. ''Who gave her the right to do something like this!?''

 _''The thing is, Cinder, that it's because of you that Emerald is doing this,''_ the stranger suddenly said, shocking everyone, especially the raven-haired woman. _''You see, Emerald didn't just follow you around. She admired you and thought of you as someone greater than others. Her loyalty towards you eventually turned into love that you didn't see, and when you chose Ms. Rose over her, she developed hatred towards her. When she realized that she could never have you, she decided to instead torture the person who took you from her.''_

''She... She did that because of me?'' Cinder said before clenching her fists so hard that her nails drew blood. Her shock was starting to be replaced with anger. While she might have felt a bit bad for not realizing her servant's feelings for her, the raven-haired woman saw Emerald's crimes as a more serious matter. ''That fool. No matter how much she wants me, it's no reason to harm Ruby! She has no right to do anything to the one I truly love and she should have just accepted her loss and moved on!''

The others didn't say anything, but they agreed with what Cinder had said. No matter how heartbroken the green-haired woman might have been, there was no reason to treat Ruby like this. It wasn't the poor redhead's fault that Cinder chose her over Emerald.

The group was brought out of their hateful thoughts by the sound of Ruby's quiet sobbing. They immediately tried to go and comfort her, but soon remembered that they couldn't do it as their hands simply went through the redhead's body.

''Dammit! Is there nothing we can do!?'' Weiss asked in a frustrated tone. ''Ruby is in trouble and right in front of us! How can we just walk away from this!?''

 _''But wasn't our reason for this trip for you to learn about yourselves and how your actions can harm your future lives?''_ the stranger asked. _''We have accomplished that, so why should we bother staying here any longer?''_

''ARE YOU STUPID!?'' Yang yelled at the top of her lungs. ''Different timeline or not, that's still our Ruby! If we are supposed to try and claim her heart, how can we just abandon her!? If a person truly loves someone, they would never do that!''

The other five ladies shouted how they agreed with the blonde girl. They all wanted to help Ruby, even if she wasn't technically the one they loved.

 _''Might I ask just what exactly is your plan?''  
_

* * *

Weiss Schnee was sitting in her office with a stack of papers on her desk and an almost empty bottle of wine in one hand. The white-haired woman let out a depressed sigh as she thought about her current life. Even after she had achieved her goal of taking over the SDC and changing it's path for the better, she couldn't bring herself to smile. Nowadays, she just felt too empty to even try smiling. Empty and alone, like she had been before she had met _her_.

''Pathetic,'' a girl's voice said from one of the corners of the room. Weiss turned to look where the sound had come from and went wide-eyed upon seeing who it was. The white-haired woman saw a younger version of herself standing there with her arms crossed, looking at her with a face of disappointment. ''How did you of all people become so pathetic? Weren't you always boasting about how good you were?''

''Who are you calling pathetic, you runt?'' the current head of the SDC said while glaring at her younger self. ''You of all people should know just how far I've come! Not only did I take over my father's company like I was supposed to, I accomplished everything I set out to do with my position! Not only is the company doing better than ever, I have made the working conditions for all the people working under me better! Especially the faunus! Who are you to call me pathetic!''

''Then why is it that all I see is a broken alcoholic before me? Where is the strong woman that I was supposed to become?'' the younger Weiss asked in a sarcastic tone. ''Could it be that the might Weiss Schnee, the head of the biggest corporation in the world, was defeated by a single girl?''

Weiss' body froze up and her eyes went wide. She knew exactly who it was that her younger self was talking about.

''...Yeah? And what of it?'' the older Weiss asked while gritting her teeth. ''What can I do about it? I gave everything I had for her and it wasn't enough. I loved her more than anything and it was all for nothing. How could I win that?''

''Did you perhaps ever wonder WHY you got rejected? Just what was the reason you couldn't win the heart of the person you loved?'' younger Weiss asked, causing the older one to go quiet. ''Was it perhaps you focusing too much on the company and not on anything else?''

''WHAT CHOICE DID I HAVE!?'' the SDC head screamed at the top of her lungs. ''Undoing the damage my father had done required time and work! All of which I could have used on something else, but I knew that I shouldn't do so! It's everybody else's fault for not seeing the bigger picture!''

''Really? Or were you just so afraid of admitting weakness that you decided to not get help from others and just buried yourself in your work?'' the younger lady asked sarcastically, silencing her older self. ''Working hard for your goals is one thing. Letting that work consume you is another. I'm almost glad Ruby rejected you. Imagine what her life would have been with you. ''Sorry, honey. I know you haven't seen me for months. I've been too busy in the office, but I got five seconds to spare with you.'' How romantic...''

''I just... I was just trying to do the right thing...'' older Weiss said with tears falling from her eyes.

''And I appreciate that. However, you need to stop lying to yourself and living in this misery. It will otherwise kill you,'' the younger Weiss said as she walked up to the older one's desk and put a piece of paper on it. ''If you wish for a change, you know what to do.''

The older Weiss looked at the piece of paper and saw an address and a name written on it. Her eyes went wide upon seeing the name and she was about to ask her younger self where she got the address, but saw that the girl had disappeared. She took one look at the paper before getting up and walking out of her office.

* * *

Blake Belladonna was sitting against a tree in the middle of the woods that were close to her home. The cat faunus had been there for a couple of hours already, trying to stop thinking about the one thing that she was still running away from. Even when she stopped running away from the White Fang, the problems the faunus population faced and her own past crimes and even went on to face them, there was still something she couldn't face. Or to be more precise, _someone_ she couldn't face.

''All these years of growing up and getting stronger, yet the best thing you can do is run away,'' Blake heard someone say. She turned to look who it was and saw that it was a younger version of herself. ''Seriously, is that all you can do? Run away and hope that your problems get solved on their own?''

''What are you talking about? I didn't run away,'' Blake said defiantly. ''I faced all of my problems. I faced the White Fang, my past and even Adam! What gives you the right to say that all I can do is run away?''

''Oh, I'm sorry. I guess you don't have any problems then. I suppose you've been sitting here crying tears of joy from your happy life and not tears of sadness from how gutless you are,'' the younger Blake said with a look of disgust on her face. ''Tell me something. Are you sure you're not just running away again?''

The chieftain of Menagerie turned to look away from her younger self. She knew exactly what the girl was talking about.

''You don't understand. There was literally nothing I could do at that point,'' Blake said in a low voice.

''Except run away, it seems,'' younger Blake corrected.

''I SAID THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!'' the chieftain yelled angrily. ''She rejected everyone! Weiss, Yang, Winter, everyone! No one was good enough! It was obvious that I wouldn't have been chosen either, so why bother try!?''

''How do you know without trying?'' the faunus girl asked. ''Despite the terrible odds you were up against, you tried to change the White Fang and the living conditions for the faunus. Why did you bother trying those, but not try to win the heart of the person you loved?''

''I... I was just-''

''Afraid? Of course you were,'' younger Blake finished for her older self. ''But you were afraid of facing many other things as well. How can you have the courage to face things that were worldwide problems, but not face a single girl?''

''Because... Because then it would have been over,'' Blake answered. ''If she had rejected me like the others, all of my hopes of being with her would have died. When I hadn't confessed to her, I could at least live with the fantasy of getting her love. If I had been rejected, I would have lost that, too.''

''So you were content to live in a fantasy? If that was the case, you might as well consider one of the characters from your books to be your lover,'' the faunus girl said. ''But the truth is that you could have been the one to get her. You could have shared each other's lives. But now, you live in self-pity and she is living a life of hell.''

''Wait, what did you-?''

''If you feel like picking yourself up and fixing your mistake, now is your chance,'' younger Blake said as she tossed a piece of paper in front of her older safe. ''Just try not to run away until you've seen things through, okay?''

Blake picked up the paper and saw a certain name and address written on it. She looked up and saw that her younger version had completely disappeared. The chieftain took one last look at the paper before getting up and heading towards the airship docks of Menagerie.

* * *

Yang Xiao Long was laying on a bed in a motel room, staring up at the ceiling. The blonde had just come back from another underground match, where she had practically demolished her opponent. One would think that she was doing these matches for the sake of thrills, since she had always identified herself as a ''thrill-seeker.'' However, nowadays they served a completely different purpose. These matches were there so that Yang could push away her memories of _her_. Only problem was that it was impossible to push away memories of someone you had known all your life.

''Man, you're one lame sight for the sore eyes,'' someone suddenly said, causing the blonde woman to sit up. She looked around and saw a younger version of herself sitting on a chair, looking at her with disappointment on her face. ''You know, I always considered myself cool and a lot of people agreed on that. But now? That just isn't the case. What happened to you?''

''It's hard to be ''cool'' when you're out in the real world,'' Yang said and glared at the girl. ''You have bigger things to worry about than that.''

''Yeah, I know that much. I'm not so stupid to think that all I could do was play around,'' the younger Yang said and rolled her eyes. ''But I wasn't hoping for you to be acting like I am. I just wanted you to be someone I could look at and smile. There's nothing to smile while looking at a sad, drunken bum, whose only companion is her right hand.''

''Hey, watch your mouth!'' the brawler said angrily. ''Besides, I use my left hand...''

''Seriously, who are you trying to fool with all your tough acts? Because it seems to me that the only person you're fooling is yourself,'' the blonde girl said in a condescending tone. ''You go around, get into fights and all sorts of trouble, only to go back to your motel room with a girl that looks just like Ruby! What kind of a life is this!? What happened to the person who was willing to go through hell just so that she could see that wonderful, little redhead smile!?''

''I DID ALL THAT AND IT WASN'T ENOUGH!'' Yang yelled as her eyes turned red. ''I did all I could to get her attention! I kept her safe from all the evils of this world! And what was my reward!? REJECTION! After everything I did for her, all I got was a rejection!''

''Are you sure you did ALL of it for Ruby? Or did you do some of that for yourself?'' younger Yang asked, causing the older one to go wide-eyed. ''I'm asking this because I heard what you did. You became insanely overprotective of her. You practically glued yourself to her and attacked anyone that tried to get close to her. Last time I checked, those weren't the actions of a lover. Those were the actions of a sociopath.''

''I just... I just wanted her for myself...''

''That is something that requires her agreement. And you can't take that forcefully,'' the blonde girl said as she walked up to the blonde woman and put a piece of paper on her bed. ''If you're willing to fix your mistakes, take that and go to the address that's on it. Otherwise, I hope you're happy being the drunken failure you are.''

Yang took the paper and read what was on it. Her eyes went wide upon seeing the name written on it. She looked up from the paper to see that her younger self had mysteriously disappeared, leaving her confused as to what had happened. However, with newly found determination, the blonde brawler got up and started to make her way to her bike.

* * *

Winter Schnee was sitting in her office, looking over the latest reports on the progress of the newest upgrades on their military equipment. While most believed that she was doing this in order to make Atlas stronger, the white-haired woman actually had another reason for it. She wanted to get noticed by _her_. All Winter did was for the sake of that person. She wanted to show that person just how strong she was and how much she could protect. However, she just couldn't understand why it didn't seem to work.

''You know, I would have thought that seeing myself in this position, doing what you're doing would be great. However, it just doesn't work like that for me,'' someone suddenly said, causing Winter to look up from her papers and see herself standing in front of her in her old officer uniform, glaring at her. ''I think might be because you've become something that I dislike, a paranoid dictator. What do you think?''

''What are you talking about?'' Winter asked her younger self. ''I'll have you know that after I became a general, the military has become stronger than ever before. The people of Atlas can rest peacefully, knowing that the military will keep them safe. How is that a bad thing?''

''That would be good and all, if it weren't for the fact that you've strained the relationships between Atlas and the other kingdoms and you've put insane amounts of pressure on your troops,'' the younger Winter said. ''You can't just look at the good side of things without acknowledging the bad side. A true general would see both sides in what you're doing. But I guess you don't care about that, since you're not doing this for the sake of Atlas.''

''I AM doing this for Atlas,'' the general growled as she was starting to let her anger take over herself. ''What other reason would I have for doing this?''

''How about a certain redhead?'' the younger woman asked, shocking the older woman. ''Honestly, most people would try to get the attention of the people they like through flowers or chocolate. You go and turn your kingdom's military into a terrifying force that everyone fears and bring the world closer to an all-out war. How has that worked out so far?''

''SHE JUST DOESN'T REALIZE THE GREATNESS OF MY WORK YET!'' Winter screamed angrily. ''If we had the forces that I have built up back in the day, the Grimm wouldn't have been able to cause so much damage! But now that I've done everything in my power to ensure safety for the people, I'm suddenly the villain! I gave everything to bring the protection and safety to the people that they deserved!''

''Even your own humanity? Because I'm pretty sure that's what Ruby misses from you the most,'' the younger Winter said, shocking the older one. ''How was she supposed to love someone who was more of a machine of war than a human? Do all the reasoning you want, no one sensible would ever give their heart to someone that doesn't seem to have feelings.''

''But... But I-''

''But nothing. You know that I'm right about this. Lucky for you, there is a chance to redeem yourself,'' younger Winter said, cutting off the general. She walked up to her desk and placed a piece of paper on it. ''If you want to change yourself for the better, you'll know what you need to do.''

Winter picked up the paper and her eyes went wide as she saw the name on it. She was about to ask her younger self where she got the information on it, but couldn't find her anywhere. However, she simply steeled her resolve and got up from her seat and started to head towards the Bullheads.

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch was laying on her couch that was in her office. The teacher was supposedly ''brainstorming'' her next novel, while taking a sip from her flask every now and then. However, in reality, Glynda was just trying to forget about _a certain someone_. However, the big problem was that the person she tried to forget was a big inspiration for some of her best books.

''You know, I always thought that the life of a successful writer was one of celebration and joy,'' someone suddenly said. Glynda looked up and saw a younger version of herself standing over her while looking at her with a look of disappointment on her face. ''Now, either this is some very depressing way of celebrating or you're just living in self-pity right now. Could you tell me which one it is?''

''That's none of your damn business,'' the blonde teacher answered with a glare. ''And just what do you even want from me? Are you some crazy fan who wants to show how much they like my books by dressing up like me?''

''No. I'm something better. I'm your past,'' the younger blonde replied. ''And the reason I am here is to see what I'm supposed to turn into. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say that I don't like my future all that much.''

''Well, that's your problem, not mine,'' Glynda said while sitting up and taking another drink from her flask. ''If you don't like what I am, that's too bad. I did all I could to get a better outcome, but this is what you get. There's no changing that.''

''Really? You did everything you could? Because I have to call bullshit on that,'' the younger Glynda said with venom in her voice. ''Or was not confessing your feelings to the person you loved some sort of an effort for a better life? I think I need you to explain the logic behind that to me.''

''You don't understand,'' the blonde teacher growled. ''Had I confessed my feelings for her, I would have only had my heart broken. I might as well not even try when I know the result in advance.''

''So, you just decided to go and be what everyone thinks you are? A strict teacher that has no time for love in his life? What a smart move.''

''WELL, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN!'' Glynda screamed. ''I was her teacher, so our relationship would have caused problems for the both of us! Why would she have risked so much by getting into a relationship with me, when she rejected so many other people!? There was just no way she could have chosen me!''

''And yet you write about romance where people are different than they seem and overcome all sorts of social barricades for the sake of love,'' the younger Glynda said, stopping her older self's rant. ''You argue about the problems your relationship would have brought and how Ruby most likely saw you, yet those are exactly the things you write about. Could it be that deep inside you believe you could have made it all work or are you just living your fantasies through your writing?''

''I... I don't...''

''If you want to make those fantasies a reality, take this and do what you have to,'' the younger woman said and handed Glynda a piece of paper. ''Otherwise, feel free to sit here and drown your sorrows in alcohol. But I doubt that will lead to anything good.''

The teacher looked at the paper and her eyes went wide. She looked up and saw that her younger self had disappeared. Glynda looked at the paper for a second, before throwing away her flask and walking out of her office. She had a flight to catch.

* * *

Cinder Fall was sitting in the middle of a forest, warming herself next to a small campfire she had made for herself. The new Fall Maiden had been living the life of a wanderer for years now. It was the only thing she could think of doing, as she had to think of her new position as a Maiden and the crimes she had done. The raven-haired woman could only wander around, hoping that she wouldn't encounter those she had harmed. Especially a certain _redhead_.

''After all the power you acquired, this is what you ended up as? A dirty wanderer?'' someone suddenly asked. Cinder looked up and saw a younger version of herself standing on the opposite side of the campfire. ''I thought you were better than that.''

''I'm not better. In fact, I'm worse,'' the Fall Maiden said. ''After everything I've done, whay right do I have to pursue a different life? How could I ever face any of the people I harmed?''

''So you instead hide like a coward? That's doesn't seem really noble to me,'' the younger Cinder said. ''You know as well as I do that doing this is not going to wash away any of your crimes at all.''

''And what would? What could possibly make up for all the things I have done?'' Cinder asked with a glare. ''I helped bring death and destruction to the entire world. Because of that, lives were ruined, families were torn apart and friends were lost. I doubt there's anything I can do that can make up for that.''

''That might be so, but simply sitting on your ass and feeling sorry for yourself isn't exactly helping anyone,'' the younger woman said. ''If you want forgiveness, you need to work for it.''

''And just what would this work be? I'm pretty sure that I can't just make gift baskets with cards that say ''sorry'' and give them to all the people I've harmed.''

''It would still be better than this. Besides, I have a feeling that you're not afraid of facing the world for the things you did. Rather, I am pretty sure that it's a certain someone that you can't show your face to.''

''Don't you dare even go there...''

''How sad is this? The person with the powers of a Maiden, one of the most powerful people in the world, is afraid of a single girl.''

''I HAVE NO RIGHT TO FACE HER ANYMORE!'' Cinder yelled. ''After everything I did to her, how could I ever even think of facing her anymore!? I betrayed her in the worst possible way imaginable! How can I expect anything else from her than hatred towards me!?''

''And yet, by not being there for her, you're actually hurting her even more,'' the younger Cinder said, causing the older one to go wide-eyed. ''If you had stayed with her, she might not be in the situation she is currently in. By running away from her, you pretty much ensured that her life becomes a living hell.''

''W-What do you mean by that?''

''That's for you to find out. Which is something I hope you do, for your own sake,'' the younger woman answered as she walked up to Cinder and handed her a piece of paper. ''Do you want to know what Ruby really wants to see from you? Effort that shows that you regret what you did. Now, how about you get started on that?''

The Fall Maiden took the paper and read what was written on it. She was shocked by what was written on it and looked up to see that her younger self had disappeared. Cinder took one last look at the paper before burning it and walking up to her horse. She had a new destination ahead of her.

* * *

A couple of days later, Ruby was facing harassment by Emerald's hands again. This time, the redhead had let the ex-thief's breakfast get cold, so the green-haired woman decided to give her wife another beating.

''How is it that you can't prepare one meal properly!?'' Emerald yelled as she kept kicking Ruby, who was curled up on the floor in an attempt at defending herself. ''Who the hell wants to eat cold eggs and bacon!?''

''I'm sorry!'' Ruby screamed as she cried. ''It took you longer to get up than I thought, so-!''

''Oh, so it's MY fault that you're so useless!?'' the green-haired woman yelled, cutting off the crying redhead. ''I'll teach you what happens when you-''

Suddenly, a black ribbon flew at Emerald from behind her, wrapping around her arm. The ex-thief was then roughly pulled backwards, causing her to fall to the floor. She looked up to see who had dared attack her, only to find six VERY angry women glaring at her. The ladies of WBY and WGC had arrived.

''W-What the-!? Where did you all come from!?'' Emerald asked as she started to panic. ''This is my house! None of you have any business to be here!''

Yang kicked the side of the green-haired woman's face. Before she could get up, Weiss put her foot on her throat and held her down.

''Now listen here, you little shit. We don't care who you are or what you think you are. No one, and I do mean NO ONE, harms Ruby,'' the SDC head said while glaring at the struggling woman under her foot. ''Understood?''

Weiss took her foot off Emerald, allowing her to crawl away from her attackers. The ex-thief started to make her way to the front door, but stopped upon seeing Cinder.

''L-Lady Cinder, please, help me!'' Emerald pleaded while looking up at her former mistress. ''All I did was punish the one who ruined everything! If it hadn't been for her, we-!''

''Save your excuses, you worm,'' Cinder growled out while glaring at her former servant. ''Get out of my sight before I burn you alive.''

Seeing as there was no way to save herself, Emerald got up and ran to the door. Before she got out, Winter gave her one final warning.

''We are going to make sure that Ruby is okay. That's how much time we'll give you,'' the general said. ''After we have done that, we will hunt you down like the animal you are.''

With her abuser gone, Ruby looked at her saviors with tearful eyes. There were many things that made her cry at the moment. One was obviously the pain she had suffered at Emerald's hands. Another one was the relief of being saved finally. But the one thing that brought up the most tears was the joy of seeing her old friends.

''Y-You guys... I...'' Ruby barely managed to say while crying. Yang and Blake walked up to her and lifted her up.

''Shhh, Ruby. Let us take care of you now,'' Blake said in a soothing tone as she and her former partner took their beloved rose somewhere where she could rest.

* * *

Meanwhile, the WBY and the WGC of the past were looking at what was happening. They were once again invisible to the world around them, allowing them to observe what would happen with Ruby and their future selves without worry. All six women were smiling, happy with the results of their little interference.

''All's well that ends well, am I right?'' Yang said with a big grin. ''I guess this means that we can finally go back to our time again.''

 _''I have to say, this was quite surprising,''_ the stranger said. _''I have done this a couple of times before, but this is the first time that the people I brought to the future wanted to fix things in the future timeline. What made you stay here and do all this?''_

''Well, that's simple. It was Ruby,'' Winter answered. ''No matter what, we all love Ruby above everything else. After we saw her in the situation she was in, we knew that we just couldn't leave her behind like that. We had to do something to help her.''

 _''So you all weren't just trying to get your future selves together with her?''_ the mysterious man asked.

''I believe that I'm speaking for all of us when I say that none of us really cared about that, as long as Ruby would be saved,'' Weiss answered. ''Like my sister said, we love her more than anything. I honestly wasn't sure if my future self would have gone to her rescue. I'm glad she did, though.''

 _''Well, I am happy to see that everything went well. But I still have to ask something. Did you all learn something from this?''_

The six ladies looked at each other before nodding. Not only had they learned some important things about themselves, but about their little conflict over Ruby. If they didn't end it soon, none of them would win. They had to put a stop to their constant fighting.

''We have to end our war over Ruby,'' the six ladies said in unison.

 _''Excellent. That is just what I wanted to hear. Now I'll just send you back to where and when I picked you up with me and you can go on and do what needs to be done.''_

With that said, the stranger used his powers to send the WBY and the WGC back to their time. They were surrounded by light before disappearing from sight.

* * *

Back with the mysterious man, he was smiling to himself over what he had just done. However, he soon heard footsteps coming towards him from behind, causing him to turn around. Behind him stood what seemed to be a young boy. The boy had darker skin, a messy mop of black hair and bags under his eyes. He was also wearing black robes over his body.

''What the hell, man!?'' the boy yelled angrily. ''I thought that we both agreed not to intervene with any business of other people! Why the hell did you break your promise!?''

''First of all, watch your language, young man! It's poor manners to speak like that!'' the man scolded the boy. ''Second, I don't think that I'm the only one breaking that little promise of ours. I have heard of Salem, you know.''

''I don't know what you're talking about. That lady was already like that when I first saw her,'' the boy said while looking away.

''Seriously, this is why mom and dad kicked us out...''

* * *

 **Author's notes: The idea of this chapter was that the WBY and the WGC wouldn't simply leave after seeing how bad Ruby's life was and decided to help. Since the God of Light was able to send people all across the world and time, he would send each one to their respective future selves to talk to them, before going forward in time a bit, so that they could see if their plan had worked.**

 **I kind of imagined that the conversations each character had with their future selves would be like the people from future essentially talking to their consciences. They would see the younger versions of themselves as sort of manifestations of their regrets and guilt. That's pretty much my lame way of explaining why no one freaked out upon meeting themselves from the past.**

 **Anyways, I kind of rushed this chapter, so I hope it's okay at least. I'm trying my best to finish this story finally, so I'm really pouring all I can into it. Hope you guys still like what I write.**

 **Also, I'm pretty sure you can all guess that the boy at the end is the God of Darkness, who is the younger brother of the God of Light. But can you guess what character his appearance is based of?**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	43. Ruby's Choice

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 43: Ruby's Choice**

Ruby had expected her Sunday to be normal. That meant waking up, having breakfast, possibly taking part in a training exercise or study session and having some fun. However, her day had been anything but normal. The moment the redhead woke up, she was greeted by absolute silence in the dorm. None of her teammates were anywhere to be found. No Weiss nagging about anything, no Yang being her usual loud self and no Blake being frustrated by her two noisy teammates. Ruby guessed that her teammates had each probably left to spend the day in whatever way they wanted, so she didn't mind it that much. It was still weird that no one even left her a message, but she thought the three older girls had been in a hurry or something.

After eating breakfast in the cafeteria, the young team leader decided to go to the library, hoping to find a new book for her to read. Unfortunately, her trip to the library was suddenly stopped, when some group suddenly attacked her. Before Ruby even realized what was going on, someone put a bag over her head, before she was picked up and carried away. The redhead was taken to some room, and she could hear the sound of a door getting closed and locked, before she was placed on a chair. While her mind was racing on what to do, a very familiar voice told her to take off the bag, which she did. Now that Ruby could see properly, she saw who her kidnappers were.

It wasn't a group of White Fang terrorists or Roman Torchwick with some goons. It was a group of six people that the scythe-wielder knew very well. They were her teammates, Weiss, Blake and Yang, along with Winter, Glynda and Cinder.

''G-Guys? What's going on?'' Ruby asked nervously, not understanding her situation at all. There was also the fact that all the people had serious looks on their faces and were staring at her.

''No need to be nervous, Ruby. I know we might have scared you a bit, but-'' Weiss began to say, but was quickly cut off by her partner.

''That's an understatement, Weiss!'' Ruby yelled with her face red from anger. ''You guys just grabbed me, like a group of mobsters! I thought that the White Fang had come for me or something! Whose idea was that!?''

Five pairs of eyes turned to look at Yang, who looked away to hide her embarrassed blush.

''It was a good idea on paper,'' the blonde mumbled. ''After all, we all wanted her here as fast as possible and without any chance of it failing.''

''... I should have know,'' Ruby said with a sigh. ''Even when we were kids, you always had the most insane plans imaginable. Sad to say that this isn't even close to your craziest one yet.''

''Yang and her idiotic ideas aside, we did have something to talk with you, Ruby,'' Winter said, ignoring a certain blonde's angry yell. ''There is something that we first need to tell you. And after that, we want you to tell us something in return.''

The redhead looked at all the people in front of her. She could tell just by how serious their expressions were and how tense their bodies were that whatever they wanted to say was serious business. Ruby didn't know what it was nor could she even guess what it could possibly be. For all she knew, the six ladies were trying to recruit her into a secret organization or something.

''All right,'' the young team leader said. ''Go ahead and say what you need to tell me. I'm as ready as I can be.''

''We love you,'' the members of the WBY and the WGC said in complete unison.

Ruby had NOT expected that at all.

Upon hearing the proclamation of love, Ruby's mind went into overdrive in an attempt at making sense of what was going on. Her mind was trying it's best to come up with a reasonable explanation on what the six ladies meant by what they just said. Unfortunately, it couldn't come to any conclusion.

Did they mean sisterly love? Not likely. While it was possible that the ladies saw her as a sister, it didn't explain the tense atmosphere or the need to tell it to her like this.

Were they talking about loving her as a friend? Again, the situation and atmosphere didn't feel appropriate for that. Not to mention, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths just to tell that.

Maybe she just heard her friends' words wrong. There was a possibility that if they repeated themselves, Ruby might be able to hear what they truly meant.

''...Mind repeating that?'' the redhead asked almost inaudibly. Her body was still in somewhat of a shock after hearing her friends the first time.

''We said we love you. All of us,'' the WBY and WGC said in unison. This time they said it much more clearly, so that Ruby would properly understand them.

Having heard her friends' proclamation of love a second time, the young team leader could only think of one thing. Each of her friends had somehow apparently fallen in love with her and were currently confessing to her. Upon realizing that this was really happening, Ruby's mind was quickly filled with questions.

When did all of this happen?

How did all of this happen?

How long had this been going on?

And most importantly, why was she the one they liked?

''Why...?'' Ruby managed to somehow ask, getting the attention of her admirers. ''Why me?''

''What do you mean by that, Ruby?'' Blake asked. She and the other five ladies were confused by their beloved rose's question.

''Just... Why do you all love me of all people?'' the redhead specified, earning surprised looks from everyone. ''I just don't understand why all of you would like someone like me. I'm certain that all of you could get pretty much anyone you could ever want, so why would any of you want me?''

''I'm not sure about that all of us being able to get anyone thing, but I know one thing for sure. We all want someone. And that someone is you, Rubes,'' Yang answered.

''But it doesn't make any sense!'' Ruby suddenly yelled, shocking the others. ''I mean, why would ANYONE, let alone some of the most amazing people I know, ever be interested in me in that way!?''

The six ladies' eyes went wide as they realized what their crush meant.

''Just look at me,'' the young team leader said in a sad voice as she motioned at herself. ''I'm not all that pretty nor do I have any sense of fashion or style. And it's not just my looks that I'm lacking in. I am not all that smart or funny either. I might be decent when it comes to weapons, but-''

The rest of Ruby's self-loathing rant was cut off by a slap to her face from Weiss. The heiress, as well as the others, couldn't take anymore of their crush's words.

''W-Weiss?'' Ruby asked while looking at her partner in disbelief and holding the spot that had just been struck. ''Why did you-?''

''BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND THOSE LIES!'' the white-haired girl screamed angrily. ''Just where the hell did you get ANY of those types of ideas!? Because let me tell you something important! NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE TRUE!''

''Your looks alone are enough to melt any heart!'' Blake said. ''And that isn't even the best part about you!''

''Yeah, Rubes! It's what kind of a person you are that has made us fall in love with you!'' Yang added. ''There's a ton of things about you to love and we love ALL of them!''

''You're both strong and brave,'' Winter said. ''When we see you fighting in the arena or battling Grimm, you do so with nearly perfect skill and grace. Not to mention, you are not afraid to face any opponent at all.''

''And your academic skills are no joke either,'' Glynda added. ''I honestly can't think of where you got the idea of you not being smart, because you are among the top students of this school. And this is something you do after skipping two years of school by going straight to Beacon.''

''But the greatest thing about you is what kind of a person you are,'' Cinder said. ''No matter how bad of a day any of us has had, just having you near is enough to make us forget all our worries and troubles. Somehow you can make us smile and laugh with little to no effort and that is something to truly love in somebody.''

Ruby listened to what her six admirers had told her with wide eyes. The redhead couldn't have ever even imagined that someone would say such things about her, let alone some of the greatest people she had ever known. The kind of praise she just got was something she thought was reserved for other people that were far more amazing than herself. Yet here she was, receiving such words. By the looks on the six ladies' faces, Ruby knew that they meant every word they said.

''R-Really?'' the scythe-wielder asked with a slight stutter. ''Y-You guys really mean all that?''

Cinder walked up to Ruby and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. The redhead looked up and saw the raven-haired woman giving her a kind smile.

''Yes, Ruby. We truly mean all of that,'' Cinder answered.

Once she heard the raven-haired woman's confirmation, the dams that were holding back the redhead's tears broke. Ruby was crying as loud as possible from sheer happiness. All six of her admirers gathered around her and hugged her, giving her as much comfort as she needed. A couple of minutes later, Ruby had finally stopped crying and had calmed down.

''Thank you, guys,'' Ruby said while wiping away some of her remaining tears. ''That meant a lot to me.''

''Anytime, Rubes,'' Yang said with a smile. ''So... Mind if we get to the matter at hand?''

''Huh? What do you mean?'' the sniper asked.

''I think she's talking about what we brought you here for in the first place,'' Weiss answered. ''In other words, which one of us do you choose?''

''...Choose?'' Ruby repeated.

''Well, obviously we want you to choose one of us as your girlfriend, silly?'' Glynda said with a laugh. ''No matter which one of us it is, we will respect your decision. Although, might I say how great of a girlfriend I would-''

''GLYNDA!'' the WBY, Winter and Cinder yelled angrily at the teacher.

''Whoa whoa whoa! Let's slow down a bit!'' Ruby said in a slightly panicked tone. ''You want me to choose one of you RIGHT NOW?''

''Well... Yeah,'' Blake answered. ''I mean, that's the whole point as to why we brought you here.''

''...You guys do realize that you just dropped a HUGE bomb on me by having all of you confess to me, right?'' the young team leader asked. ''I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that, and now you want me to just choose one of you?''

''Pretty much!'' Weiss answered with a hint of excitement in her voice. ''So, which one of us is it going to be?''

For a moment, all Ruby could do was stare at her admirers with a stunned expression on her face. She honestly couldn't believe how badly the six ladies were lacking in tact.

''Guys, I'm sorry, but I can't just go and choose one of you right away,'' the redhead said with a sigh. ''This is all just way too sudden for me. I mean, not even an hour ago, I wouldn't have believed if someone had told me that there was someone who was in love with me. Now I suddenly find out that not only are there six people in love with me, but I'm supposed to pick one of them? That's just way too much too soon.''

The six ladies looked at each other for a moment, before looking at Ruby again.

''Alright, we understand,'' Winter said. ''We'll give you some time to think about this. However, we do hope to get an answer from you. You do understand that, right?''

''Yes, of course,'' the scythe-wielder answered. Soon afterwards, she and the others had left the room and gone their own way, to prepare for things to come.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Ruby was sitting under a tree in the front yard of Beacon. While she might have seemed calm on the outside, the redhead was far from it. She was in inner turmoil over the latest revelations she had just gone through. Not only had she been confessed to by six people, but those same six people also wanted her to pick one of them as her girlfriend. Unfortunately, Ruby had absolutely no idea who she should choose.

Should she choose Weiss? The heiress was technically the redhead's first friend. She was also smart, classy and a great person to study with. However, Weiss could be uptight, snobby and pretty cold as well.

Perhaps Blake? The faunus shared a few things with Ruby. They both loved books and were somewhat idealists. Unfortunately, Blake tended to keep some things to herself and wouldn't always open up.

Then maybe Yang? Ruby had known her for her entire life, so she had a pretty good idea of what the blonde was about. If there was one person to have fun with, it was Yang. The brawler was the most energetic and entertaining person to be with. But she also had a tendency to get into trouble.

How about Winter? The soldier was certainly someone Ruby admired a bit. She was a strong woman who just held an aura of confidence around her. The problem with Winter was that she didn't exactly have a great sense of humor, and she could be pretty intimidating, too.

Could Glynda be the best choice? Like Winter, the teacher was a strong person that Ruby somewhat admired. Glynda had a lot of experience and skill as a Huntress, which would make her an ideal partner for someone that was trying to become one. However, the blonde woman was also very strict and not always all that fun to be with.

Would it be best to choose Cinder? The raven-haired woman had an aura of mystery and intrigue to her that caught Ruby's attention, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. And the more the redhead learned about Cinder, the more she wanted to know. Unfortunately, this also made her the riskiest person to be with, as Ruby didn't know who she truly was.

The young team leader was unable to come to any sort of a satisfying conclusion, no matter how much she thought about the good and bad sides of her admirers. All Ruby was able to accomplish was get a bad headache to herself. In the end, the redhead fell on her back with steam rising from her head.

''This is hopeless..'' Ruby mumbled to herself. ''How am I supposed to make the right choice?''

''Isn't the right choice the one that feels right?'' someone suddenly asked, causing the sniper to sit up with wide eyes. Ruby turned to her right and saw Penny standing there with a smile on her face. ''At least that's what I've heard.''

''Penny! Where did you come from!?'' Ruby said in a slightly surprised voice. ''How long have you been there?''

''Not all that long, to be honest,'' the robot girl answered. ''I came looking for you and saw you fall on your back suddenly. That's when I rushed over to you and heard your question.''

The redhead blushed a bit, feeling embarrassed that someone had heard her talking to herself. However, at the same time, Ruby felt a bit relieved. Perhaps her mechanic friend could help her with her dilemma.

''Hey, Penny... Can you help me out a bit?'' the redhead asked carefully, a bit hesitant to talk about what she was currently going through. ''You see, I've got a really difficult problem in front of me right now and I can't figure out what to do. I think you might help me with some input.''

''Why certainly, Ruby!'' Penny answered in an over-excited voice, happy that her friend needed her help. ''You can always count on your dear friend Penny to aid you! Whether you need me to fight baddies and Grimm or something else, you can expect me to give it my all!''

 _'I know that, Penny. I just hope that this ends better than last time,'_ Ruby thought to herself, thinking back to how the robot girl had ''helped'' her in the film festival and how badly it ended for her.

''So ask away, Ruby! What is the problem you need Penny's help with!?'' Penny asked in her excited voice, snapping the young team leader out of her thoughts.

''Well... You see... It's about... love,'' Ruby said in a shy voice while staring at the ground, unable to look her friend in the eyes as she said it.

''...Love?''

The young scythe-wielder went on to tell everything to the ginger girl. How her teammates and the three women of the WGC had suddenly confessed to her and asked her to choose one of them as her girlfriend. And how she was unable to choose anyone, no matter how hard she thought about it.

''I must say, that is quite the dilemma you've got there, Ruby,'' Penny said after hearing her friend's story. ''It's no wonder you're so troubled.''

''I know, right!?'' the redhead exclaimed, happy that her friend understood her plight. ''I mean, having someone confess to you is great and all, but from six people at the same time!? I hear people can be troubled over just one person confessing to them, but I've got six!''

''Indeed. That is very unusual,'' the robot girl said thoughtfully. ''Realistically speaking, you are more likely to get struck by lightning than have something like this happen to you. I don't think there is even one instance of anything similar happening in any of my data banks.''

''Uhhh... Sure,'' Ruby said, a bit bothered by what her friend had just said. ''So, do you have any idea on what I should do? I could really use some help.''

''I've got nothing at all!'' Penny yelled loudly with a bright smile on her face.

All that the scythe-wielder could do was stare at her friend with wide eyes. While she had not been expecting any revolutionary advice from the ginger robot, she did think that Penny would give at least some sort of a suggestion. Not leave her with simply nothing.

''W-W-What!?'' Ruby squeaked out. ''B-But Penny, I really need help here!''

''That might be true, but I'm afraid that I can't offer any. While I could suggest different things for you to do, like dating each of them one at a time until you know who to choose or make your choice through lottery, I doubt those would help all that much,'' the ginger explained. ''In the end, this is something only you can solve, not someone else. You need to make the decision that will make you happy. Just think about it calmly and carefully, and I'm sure that you'll find the right choice for yourself.''

The sniper stared at her friend, trying to think of something to say that would make Penny change her mind and actually help her. Unfortunately, Ruby couldn't think of anything to say. Deep down, she knew that her friend was right and that no one could really help her. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she could only solve her problem herself.

''I guess you're right, Penny. I have to face this on my own,'' Ruby said with a sad sigh. ''By the way, you seem to be knowledgeable when it comes to romance. How is that possible?''

''I have a large amount of digital versions of romance novels downloaded into my internal data banks,'' Penny answered. ''I have studied love and romance through them a lot.''

''...Right. I think I'll try my best to ignore that,'' the redhead said, not fully onboard with the idea that her friend had just given her advice through fictional stories. ''So basically, I just have to think about this myself and I'll find the right answer eventually?''

''Pretty much. You shouldn't worry too much, though. You are the most wonderful and kindest person out there, so I'm sure you'll know what to do,'' the robot answered with a kind smile. ''After all, you did manage to become my first love.''

''WHAT!?'' Ruby screamed, shocked that she was facing another confession. ''P-P-Penny, do you mean that-?''

''Yes! I do love you, as well!'' Penny cheerfully replied, causing her redheaded friend to turn as red as her cloak. ''I mean, who doesn't love their friends? And you're my first friend ever!''

''Wait... Hang on a second. When you said you loved me, did you mean you love me as a friend?'' Ruby asked.

''Why yes. What else could I mean?'' the ginger said in a slightly confused tone. ''I mean, love is love, right? Whether it's the love of a parent I feel towards my father or the love of a friend I feel towards you, is there really a difference?''

The scythe-wielder facepalmed at Penny's question. It seemed that despite her ''knowledge'' on the subject, she was still fairly oblivious to some important facts of romance and love.

''Yes, Penny, there are BIG differences when it comes to what type of love you are dealing with,'' Ruby said with a sigh. ''I think you need to study a bit more.''

''Really? Well, that certainly explains Ciel's reaction when I told her that I loved her! I guess I need to correct that misunderstanding. Along with a few others,'' the robot girl said to herself thoughtfully. ''Thanks for letting me know this!''

''Sure... Anytime, Penny,'' the redhead responded while wondering what sort of other incidents her careless friend might have gotten into. ''Anyways, thanks for the help. I'll see what I can do about my situation.''

''No problem, Ruby! You can always count on me!'' Penny said cheerfully. ''And don't worry too much about it! I'm sure you'll make the right choice in the end!''

With that, Ruby said goodbye to her friend and walked away, leaving the ginger on her own. Now that she was alone, Penny decided to go back to her ''studies.''

''That reminds me. I just downloaded the latest volume for ''Ninjas of Love: The Unrated Edition.'' I think that book had something in it that was similar to what Ruby is going through at the moment,'' the ginger said to herself as her eyes started to glow green, indicating that she was going through her data banks at the moment. ''It might be a good idea to study it, so I can better understand things like love and romance.''

Soon after she began reading, Penny's face turned completely red.

* * *

Back with Ruby, the young team leader was walking through the halls of Beacon deep in thought. Even if Penny had told her not to worry and that she would manage to make the right decision, she was still facing quite the dilemma ahead of her. No matter how much she tried, Ruby couldn't simply pick one of her six admirers as the best one. They all had their good and bad sides. Whenever the redhead thought that she was getting close to choosing someone, she would almost immediately remember the downsides of that person, which would in turn make on of her other admirers seem much more appealing. It seemed like there was no right choice, no matter how much she thought about it.

However, as she was thinking about her situation, Ruby suddenly thought of something. Perhaps she had finally found her right answer after all.

The scythe-wielder took out her Scroll and sent a message to her six admirers, telling them all to meet her in team RWBY's dorm. She typed in the message that she had finally made her choice and that she wanted to tell all of them at the same time. After sending her message, Ruby waited a bit so that they would all have enough time to get to her team's dorm, before heading there herself. Once she entered said dorm room, her six admirers were all there, waiting for her.

''Were you serious with your message, Rubes?'' Yang asked in an excited tone. ''Have you actually made your decision?''

''Yes, I have,'' Ruby answered. Her voice was a bit nervous, but full of resolve. ''It took some time, but I was able to come to a conclusion.''

''So, who will it be?'' Cinder asked while playing with her hair a bit to calm down her own nervousness. ''Don't keep us in suspense here.''

The redhead took a deep breath to harden her resolve. This was going to be hard, but she needed to do it.

''After some thinking, I have decided that I won't choose anyone of you,'' Ruby declared.

After the young team leader gave her answer, silence fell over the room. Ruby's six admirers could only stare at their crush with wide eyes as their brains registered what they just heard.

''...WHAT!?'' the six ladies screamed at the same time, shocked by Ruby's answer.

''You heard me. I have decided to not choose any of you,'' the redhead said. Her voice was starting to crack from what she had to do. Ruby knew that she was most likely breaking the hearts of her admirers, but felt like this was the only way to do this correctly. ''Believe me when I say this that I wish I could give you guys a better answer. In all honesty, if any of you had confessed to me on their own, I would have probably accepted without any hesitation.''

''Then why!?'' Weiss asked. ''Why wouldn't you choose any of us!?''

''Because I can't,'' Ruby answered. ''You are all amazing people in your own way and there is no way for me to put one of you above the others. No matter how much I think about it, I can't just confidently choose any of you without any doubts. No matter which one of you I would choose, there would always be some doubt at the back of my mind over it. Not to mention, by choosing one of you, I would leave five of you heartbroken, which is something that I can't even imagine doing. It would also most likely destroy whatever friendship I would have with most of you, and that is definitely something I can't face.''

With her explanation done, the sniper turned around and walked over to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob before looking back at her admirers again.

''Please forgive me for being such a coward, but I truly believe this is the best way to solve this,'' Ruby said as tears started to fall from her eyes. ''Besides, since you are all such great people, I'm sure you will all find someone else to love. And I'm certain that those people will be many times better than I ever could be.''

Ruby was about to open the door and walk out, but she was stopped by someone grabbing her arm and pulling her back. The redhead looked at who it was and was shocked to see Yang glaring at her with angry, red eyes.

''Don't you dare even think about walking away from us like that!'' the blonde practically growled out. ''Every one of us has pretty much dedicated ourselves for you and absolutely love you! You think you can just go without choosing any of us, after we all just declared our love for you!? Well, I've got news for you! That isn't gonna happen!''

Ruby looked at her other admirers and noticed how they were glaring at her, too. They all held the same determination behind their eyes that Yang did. It was obvious to the redhead that her plan had not gone the way she had hoped it would.

''B-B-But I'm serious! I can't choose one of you no matter how hard I try!'' Ruby pleaded. ''How am I supposed to do that now!?''

Yang looked at the other five ladies before looking at the young team leader again.

''I think we have a way to solve this.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: At last we are near the final chapter to this story. Only one more and this story will end. It's been a long ride, but it's finally reaching it's end.**

 **For this chapter, I wanted to have Ruby essentially think about which of her admirers she would choose, only to find herself unable to make a clear decision. She would then decide not to choose anyone, which would then in turn lead to the actual ending.**

 **What is that actual ending? Well, you're going to have to read the next chapter to find out.**

 **Also, for those who might have misunderstood it, Penny is not in love with Ruby. She is just very new to the concept of love and thinks of all types of love as the same.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	44. Epilogue

**War for Ruby**

 **Chapter 44: Epilogue**

A red car was driving down a dirt road through a forest. The car was heading towards a mansion that was deep in the woods, where the driver lived. The person behind the wheel was a young woman with short, black hair that had red tips, silver eyes and was wearing a red cloak. This was Ruby Rose and she was heading home after a successful mission in her life as a Huntress.

It had been few years since the ''War for Ruby'' had come to an end and a lot of had happened in that time. It wasn't long after Ruby's six admirers had confessed their feelings to her that something very big had happened.

* * *

About a month after the confession, the Vytal Festival had come to Vale. Unfortunately, what should have been an occasion of joy and celebration, quickly turned into one of horror and fear, as Salem's forces had tried to bring down the city of Vale with a large army of Grimm. Luckily, the Huntsmen of Vale had two things on their side that helped them save the city. Those two things were great Huntsmen and Huntresses, such as Ruby and her team, and the other one was information on Salem's plans that came from none other than Cinder.

After realizing that Ruby was more important to her than any sort of plans for world domination, the raven-haired woman had decided to switch sides. Thanks to her knowledge of Salem's plans and forces, Cinder proved to be incredibly valuable for Ozpin and his forces in their fight against the Grimm-commanding witch. With the ex-villainess' help, Salem's forces were defeated and her closest associates were captured and imprisoned.

However, Cinder wasn't the only one who deserved to be thanked for Salem's defeat. In all honesty, there was one person who was at least as valuable to Ozpin's battle against his old enemy. That person was none other than Ruby Rose, who actually defeated Salem in a fight, thus ending her reign of terror for good. There were also many other people, such as Ruby's teammates, Winter Schnee and Glynda Goodwitch, who became famous for their achievements in the battle against Salem. In fact, they had become so famous that there were plans for a movie about their deeds, with Ruby being the main heroine of the film.

After Salem had been defeated, Ruby had pursued her dream of being a Huntress and had been very successful. The redhead quickly rose among the ranks of Vale's best Huntresses, known for her great skills with her scythe. However, being only a Huntress had not been enough for Ruby, which led her to become a writer. The scythe-wielder proved to be quite the writer, as she had managed to bring out a couple of best-sellers.

Ruby had not been the only one who had went through a great change with time. Her teammates and friends had done so as well. For example, Weiss' life had changed for the better a lot. After taking over the SDC, the ex-heiress had quickly gone to make her dream of cleaning up her family's company and name. The conditions for the workers were greatly improved and Weiss cut off all ties to any shady partners her company used to have. The Schnee name that used to be hated among a lot of people was making it's way to become a name to be respected and loved in the whole world.

Blake had taken over not only the White Fang, but also the position of Menagerie's chieftain. Now that she was holding two big positions for the faunus people, the cat faunus was able to start guiding her people towards a better future. Her first order of business was to change the White Fang back to the peaceful group it used to be and end it's former terrorist activities, which led to people like Adam to be arrested. This allowed her people to better communicate with humans and repair the bridges between the two races that had been burnt due to the actions of both sides. Blake also led Menagerie to open up to the rest of the world, thus making it a more visible nation to the rest of Remnant. This allowed other nations to trade with the faunus land, which helped Menagerie develop. The new chieftain also received help from her friends, like Weiss Schnee who was a great help in developing Menagerie's infrastructure.

After her achievements in the battle against Salem's forces, Yang had decided to start seeking new thrills for herself. As she had become a known face among the people, the blonde took part in all sorts of action-packed events. These included motorcycle stunts, combat tournaments and other things that got her blood pumping. People would line up for the chance to see the famous ''Golden Brawler'' in action, and Yang never failed to entertain the masses. However, not all of the events were just for the sake of her having a good time, as she also did a great number of charity events, especially ones that helped her former partner, Blake Belladonna, in her efforts of helping the faunus.

Winter Schnee's career in the Atlesian military had progressed greatly after the battle against Salem. Thanks to her efforts, the white-haired woman quickly rose in rank and eventually replaced Ironwood as the general of Atlas' military. Under her rule, the armed forces started to develop their military might further, so that they could protect their people better. However, Winter had learned from her trip to the future and didn't go too far in her developments. Instead of simply focusing on the Atlesian military, the new general used her influence to create an alliance with the other kingdoms, including Menagerie. This would help each nation in the future to keep their citizens safe from any upcoming dangers.

Glynda had decided to continue teaching at Beacon, despite getting all sorts of different offers. After people had seen just how truly powerful the blonde teacher was in the battle against Salem, there had been many different jobs and positions that were offered to her, ranging from being a personal bodyguard to some of the richest people in the world and high-ranking military positions. However, even if these had paid her far more than she earned as a teacher, Glynda felt that her current job was far better. She felt that it was her duty to guide new Huntsmen and Huntresses to the world, so that they would have a better chance at surviving their work. If anything did change in her work, it was that now students listened to her a lot more carefully. The teacher also became a writer on her spare time, much like her future self had.

When it came to Cinder, the raven-haired woman had gone through the biggest change with time. She had switched sides from Salem's forces, deciding that a certain redhead was far more important to her than any plan of world domination. Cinder was then recognized by Ozpin himself as an ally worthy of trust, and had actually let her fully become the Fall Maiden, provided that she used her new powers for good. But this was not the end of her changes yet. Not only did the ex-villainess take on the duties of the Maiden, but she was also recruited as one of Beacon teachers. Cinder was tasked with teaching students about the criminal underworld, which was something that was unfortunately lacking in the curriculum of the school's students. Even if Huntsmen were mainly facing Grimm, they would often have to fight against criminals, too. This is where the raven-haired woman's experience and knowledge were of great help, as she taught her students many necessary things when it came to dealing with the underworld.

Ruby's other friends were doing fine, as well. People like team JNPR, SSSN and CFVY had become very skilled Huntsmen and Huntresses, whose talents were greatly recognized by others. Some of them even used their new fame to become successful at their second jobs that were more about their personal interests, such as Coco was with fashion designing and Velvet with photography. The rabbit faunus even worked closely with Blake by taking pictures at events the cat faunus organized. The most surprising had to be Penny, who actually started to host her own puppet show for children. When asked about this, the robot girl would say that ''she liked to make children happy and it felt natural to her.''

However, not everyone had a happy ending for themselves. One of these people was General Ironwood, who had to retire due to the injuries he got in the battle against Salem. This did lead to Winter eventually becoming general, but the white-haired woman wasn't all that happy to replace someone she looked up to, despite him being unfit for his old position.

Despite what happened to Ironwood, the bigger tragedy had to have been with Cinder's two servants, Emerald and Mercury. When the raven-haired woman switched sides, she tried her best to get her two servants to join her. Unfortunately, this proved to be harder than she imagined. Cinder did manage to get Mercury to join her, although he did so reluctantly. The silver-haired boy wasn't exactly keen on fighting for ''the good guys'' and felt like it was a mistake to do so. Even after the battle against Salem, Mercury had difficulty with living a more normal life, which led to him eventually disappearing. Last thing Cinder heard about her former servant was that he had apparently joined a group of bandits in Mistral. After that, he completely disappeared without a trace.

But while Mercury joined Cinder in switching sides, the same didn't happen with Emerald. The green-haired girl had not liked the way her mistress had suddenly changed and refused to join Ozpin's forces. Emerald actually blamed Ruby for what had happened to Cinder. She firmly believed that the redhead had ''brainwashed'' the ex-villainess and vowed to kill her. Despite Cinder's best efforts, the thief wouldn't believe that her mistress had changed sides out of her own free will and continued to blame Ruby. In the end, Emerald was killed by Cinder, when the raven-haired woman had to protect Ruby from her former servant. Cinder was greatly saddened by this, as she had hoped that her most loyal servant would have made the right choice and had found happiness in a life without Salem. Luckily, she had many people help her get over her grief.

* * *

Ruby eventually arrived at her home and walked up to the front door. She started to slowly open the door, as she could just feel someone wait for her on the other side in anticipation.

Although, to be more precise, it wasn't just one person. It was actually six people that were waiting for her.

''WELCOME HOME, RUBY!'' came the voices of Weiss, Blake, Yang, Winter, Glynda and Cinder at the same time as they welcomed their wife back home.

''Hi, guys,'' Ruby said with a small smile on her face, as she entered the house and was immediately getting pampered by the older women.

* * *

Before the six ladies had gone to confess their feelings to Ruby, they had come to a special agreement among themselves. If their crush wouldn't be able to pick one of them, they would simply all get together with her and save her the trouble of having to choose. After their trip to the future, the six ladies had seen how well they could work together in keeping Ruby safe. Because of this, the group had seen three possibilities for themselves. One was that Ruby would simply choose one of them and the others would have no choice but to let it be. Second was that their beloved redhead wouldn't choose anyone, which would lead to them continuing their fighting over her and eventually make their dreaded future a reality. The third was that they would simply find a peaceful solution where they would all get together with Ruby and live happily afterwards.

After they had managed to convince the scythe-wielder to give the ''harem idea'' a try, they were all surprised how well it worked. Each one of them provided something important in their rather unique relationship, which brought them harmony. Their personalities worked in such a way that when one of them lacked something another one of them helped provide that. It didn't take long until they were all very happy with how their relationship worked.

There were of course problems with their relationship. They weren't able to be public with it for two reasons. The first reason was that they were afraid people wouldn't be accepting of it, as it wasn't exactly ''normal.'' The second reason was that some of their lives could have been damaged badly, if it was revealed. For example, Glynda's career as a teacher could have ended, once it was found out that she had a relationship with some of her students.

Their wedding proved to be a bit of a problem, too. The reason for this was that they couldn't get married in Vale because of their laws. Vale didn't allow more than two people to be married together, so they couldn't have their wedding there. Atlas' laws were also strict, which made it unfit as an option. However, Vacuo had some very loose laws when it came to marriage, so the group traveled there to have their wedding. The event itself wasn't large, just a private gathering of friends and family, with certain individuals, like Whitley and Jacques, being absent for good reasons. In the ceremony itself, Ruby was the only one to wear a dress, while her future wives were all wearing suits of different colors. Weiss wore white, Blake black, Yang yellow, Winter gray, Glynda purple and Cinder wore red.

* * *

Now that the seven women were living together as one married group, they had come up with special rules to keep things peaceful. Every week, all of Ruby's ladies that were home would make a schedule on who had the redhead for themselves. While this didn't prevent others from giving Ruby affection, the one on the schedule would be the one to have the scythe-wielder to herself the most. Sundays were given to Ruby as free days for her.

Right now, it was Glynda's turn to be the one in charge. As soon as Ruby walked in, the teacher picked her up and carried her to the living room. Glynda had planned a movie marathon for today in order to celebrate their wife's return. The blonde woman sat on the couch while holding the smaller lady on her lap.

''So, what are we watching, Glyndie?'' Ruby asked while snuggling closer to the teacher.

''Well, I was thinking that we should start with the latest Disney movie,'' Glynda answered as she buried her nose in the redhead's hair. ''After that, I think we can move on to something a bit more different.''

''I hope this doesn't make Yang cry like the last one we watched,'' Weiss said as she took a seat next to Glynda and Ruby. ''I'd hate to have her cry again.''

''Oh, come on! Can't you guys let that go already!?'' Yang yelled while bringing snacks for the group. ''Besides, that happened a long time ago!''

''You mean last week?'' Cinder asked with a smirk while taking a seat on the other side of Glynda. ''I don't think that counts as ''a long time ago.''

''DAMMIT!''

After having a laugh at the brawler's expense, the seven women spent the rest of the day watching movies and enjoying each other's company. However, while most of the group was focusing on the movies, Ruby's mind was occupied by something else. She was thinking about asking something from her wives and was hoping that they would take it well.

''Guys? Can I ask you something?'' the redhead asked in a slightly nervous voice.

''Of course you can, Ruby!'' Winter answered happily. ''What is on your mind?''

''Well, I've been thinking about something... kind of big,'' Ruby said, getting the full attention of her six wives. ''I can understand if you guys are not into it, but I really want to hear your opinions on it.''

''Ruby, I doubt that it's anything all that bad, so no need to be shy,'' Blake said with a small chuckle, finding the younger woman's shy attitude very adorable. ''I see no reason for you to be so nervous about it.''

''Yeah, Rubes!'' Yang said with a grin. ''Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll like it, so go ahead and say it!''

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ruby said what was on her mind.

''You see, on my last hunt, I saw a mother with a child. They were very happy together and it reminded me of my mom a lot. It also made me think about being a mother, too,'' the scythe-wielder explained. ''I was wondering if I should become a mom, as there are ways for us to have kids of our own. And which one of you guys would like to be the other parent.''

Ruby was looking down while waiting for an answer from one of the older women. However, when no answer came, she looked up to see what her wives' reactions were. The redhead was shocked to see all of the six women staring at her with wide eyes.

''Ummm... Guys? Is something wrong?'' Ruby asked carefully, worried about what was going on in their heads at the moment.

''W-Well, that is quite surprising, Ruby,'' Weiss said with a blush on her face, as she twirled her ponytail out of nervousness. ''B-But nevertheless, I'd be more than willing to-''

''Hang on, princess! Who said YOU would be the parent of Ruby's child!?'' Blake yelled as she glared at the white-haired woman. ''In fact, I think I should be-''

''No way, kitty! That position is for ME!'' Yang shouted, cutting off the cat faunus. ''I'm obviously the best one for that job!''

''And what makes you think that!?'' Winter asked angrily. ''In fact I should-''

''And why shouldn't I be the parent!?'' Glynda yelled.

''What about ME!?'' Cinder shouted.

As the six older women continued their arguing, Ruby let out a tired sigh. This had honestly been her biggest worry. That her wives would get into a fight like they used to back in the day. The redhead couldn't help but feel that troublesome times were ahead of her.

The War for Ruby was going reach it's second stage.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **Author's notes: Before any body asks, NO, I AM NOT GOING TO DO A SEQUEL! I just wanted to end this story in a fun way that felt fitting. There won't be a sequel of any kind.**

 **When I was writing this, I wanted to give a quick look at how everyone's lives had changed with time. With the WBY and WGC it was simple, as they would simply have similar futures to the ones they had seen in their time traveling. I also wanted to give a quick look at some of the other characters and events that happened with Ruby and the others, like the wedding. I was originally planning for Penny to have met a tragic death as well, but I felt like people wouldn't like it. The idea of a children's puppet show came from her being a robot and rather childish, which made the idea a bit funny in my opinion.**

 **When it comes to Ruby's harem, I had decided on that a long time ago, back when I was first starting this story. I felt that it was the best option, as essentially everyone's favorite girl would get Ruby that way. While the idea of Ruby getting together with someone else entirely seemed funny, I feared that it might come off as ''trolling,'' so I didn't go with it. The harem also felt best, as this story had been centered around Ruby and her six admirers and breaking up that group wouldn't have felt right.**

 **Also, if you were disappointed in Ruby getting a harem, I have only one thing to say to you. Tough luck. Life isn't here to make things the way you want them and fanfiction writers sure as hell aren't either. Besides, if the pairing at the end of a fanfic is enough to get you riled up, you might want to take a good look at yourself.**

 **There were a couple of people who didn't seem to like how Ruby didn't choose anyone in the last chapter. There were basically two reasons I did that. One was that it was how I think Ruby would have acted in that situation. She was confessed to by six women and I felt that she wouldn't be able to choose one of them. The second reason was that I could build up to this ending that way.**

 **Anyways, this was a long and fun ride, but I'm happy to bring it to an end. While I had good times writing this story, it eventually started to become more of a chore for me. I still wanted to finish the story, as there were many people who liked it and I wanted to give them the full story. However, now I'll move on to new stories eventually. I think I'll wrap up Problem With Dating Yang next, before going on a break.**

 **Until next time and have a good time readers. Hope you enjoyed the ride.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


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